Kaniala Masoe — Lead Musician

Hilo, and a stage at three years old

Kaniala was born and raised in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island, into a family where music was not a hobby. His parents and grandparents were musicians, and he grew up surrounded by music and hula. He joined his parents on stage at age three and has been performing since.

Aukahi Pride

In 1992, at eight years old, Kaniala recorded his first album alongside his parents as the group Aukahi Pride. A second album, Surfing With The Dolphins, followed in 1997.

Through this period the family performed nightly at Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel. Locals and visitors came back week after week to watch them play — which is a particular kind of apprenticeship you cannot get any other way.

Language, and falsetto

Kaniala is a graduate of Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, the Hawaiian immersion school, and speaks fluent Hawaiian. The values and cultural practice he learned there sit underneath everything he does on stage.

In 2003 he won the Kindy Sproat Falsetto competition on Hawaiʻi Island — leo kiʻekiʻe, the Hawaiian falsetto tradition, is a demanding and highly specific vocal discipline, and the competition is named for one of its most respected practitioners.

Uncle Billy's, and meeting Melody

It was while performing at Uncle Billy's that Kaniala met Melody Canto, a hula dancer hired at the same restaurant. They married in 2006 and have built every company since as a family.

Ke Kani Malie — the family chant

Kaniala wrote the chant the company performs as its own. It frames the group as voyagers in a canoe named Ke Kani Malie, guided by the kūpuna — the ancestors — and moving forward together as an ʻohana.

The stated purpose is direct: to perpetuate Hawaiian culture as a family, for future generations. It is why the show is built the way it is.

What he does at Huakaʻi Lūʻau

• Lead Musician — fronting the live band
• Hawaiian falsetto and traditional vocal work
• Oli — chant
• Hawaiian cultural advisory across the production
• Show design and scriptwriting
• Fluent Hawaiian speaker

Hearing him play

Kaniala leads the live band through the Journey Through Polynesia revue, weekly on Tuesdays at Kāʻanapali Beach Club. The pre-show set begins at 5:45 PM and the main show at 6:30 PM.

October through March, every time above shifts 30 minutes earlier — doors at 5:00 PM.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Kaniala Masoe?

Kaniala Masoe is the Lead Musician and a Hawaiian cultural advisor at Huakaʻi Lūʻau on Maui. Raised in Hilo by musician parents and grandparents, he joined them on stage at age three, recorded his first album at eight with the family group Aukahi Pride, and won the Kindy Sproat Falsetto competition in 2003. He is a graduate of Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu and speaks fluent Hawaiian.

What is Aukahi Pride?

Aukahi Pride was the family musical group Kaniala Masoe recorded with alongside his parents. Their first album was recorded in 1992, when Kaniala was eight years old, and a second album, Surfing With The Dolphins, followed in 1997. The family performed nightly at Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel during this period.

What is the Kindy Sproat Falsetto competition?

It is a Hawaiian falsetto singing competition held on Hawaiʻi Island, named for a respected practitioner of the tradition. Hawaiian falsetto, or leo kiʻekiʻe, is a demanding and highly specific vocal discipline. Kaniala Masoe won the competition in 2003.

Does Huakaʻi Lūʻau use a live band?

Yes. Huakaʻi Lūʻau performs with a live band led by Kaniala Masoe rather than a recorded backing track. The pre-show set begins at 5:45 PM and the band plays through the main revue, which is why the pacing of the show varies week to week.

What day of the week is Huakaʻi Lūʻau?

Huakaʻi Lūʻau performs weekly on Tuesdays at the Luau Lawn at Hilton Grand Vacations Kāʻanapali Beach Club. Because it is a weekly rather than nightly show, a one-week stay on Maui usually overlaps with only one or two performance dates, so it is worth checking the calendar against your travel dates as early as possible.

What time does the Huakaʻi Lūʻau show start?

From April through September, doors open at 5:30 PM, the buffet opens at 5:50 PM, the main show begins at 6:30 PM and it ends at 7:30 PM with the fireknife finale. From October through March every time shifts 30 minutes earlier, so doors open at 5:00 PM. The show runs on Tuesdays.

Pricing, showtimes and menu items are current as of August 2026 and are subject to change; taxes are additional at checkout and menu offerings may vary with seasonal availability and operational requirements. Price ranges quoted for other Maui luaus are general market guidance rather than quotes — confirm current pricing directly with each operator. Seating within each ticket tier is first-come, first-served.