“… I have eagerly awaited his first CD release - and I waited a REALLY long time. But it was SO worth the wait! Pili plays slack key guitar in a style reminiscent of the legends of the genre, and his original compositions in the Hawaiian language will warm the heart … Piliʻs arrangements remind me of classics of the Hawaiian Music Renaissance such as the Beamer Brothers, Na Keonimana, the Brothers Cazimero, and Da Blahlahs of Keaukaha.”
~ Bill Wynne, Ho’olohe Hou Radio
and Ho’olohe Hou Records
…to all those who have offered me their support, wisdom, encouragement and aloha , especially all the wonderful musicians, kumu hula , and hālau with whom I have had the honor of performing; to all the great musicians and haku mele of the past in whose shadow I stand; to everyone who loves Hawaiian music; and always, to Ke Akua from whom all life and aloha flow.
Please see the ever-increasing list of INDIVIDUAL MAHALO .
Darlene Ahuna • Tom Ah Yee • Yolanda Akeo • Alan Aki • Shelley and Reyn Akiona • Faith Ako • Kumu Hula Shawna Kealameleku‘uleialoha Alapaʻi • Kumu Hula Kawika Alfiche • Tricia Allen • Kumu Hula Fatima “Fatz” Angeles • Sharon Au-Curtis • Hollis Baker • Kathy Balint • Raymond Bambao • Kuʻulei and Gus Becklund • Hiram Bell • Derek Bianchi • Bruce Bischof • Bobby Black • Michelle Blair and Sam Hammond • Paul Kealoha Blake • Martín Blanes • Nancy Bloom • Kumu Hula Clark Kahekemālamalamaikaʻāina Bolivar, Jr. • Margaret Braun • Hanale Bray • Kuʻunani and Jim Burkhardt • Kumu Hula Kanani Cadaoas • Jim Callahan • Ken, Napua, and Kerry Camacho • Martin Cantu • Kimo Carlos • Sue Twohey Carlton • Dr. Kaʻala Carmack • Barbara Casey and Robert Sorrell • Kumu Hula Robert Cazimero • Roland Cazimero • Vernon Chang • Holle Chernis • Kumu Hula Keala Ching • Stephen Chipp • Dr. Danny Choung • Annabelle Christian • Barbara Chung • Randal Churchill • Kumu Hula Lani Cid-Iulio • Doug Cole • Heidi Elliot Coleman • Kathy and Art Coleman • Kumu Hula Akiko Colton • Lynn Connors • Catherine Rose Crowther • Sheri and Ronnie Croy • Doris Dare and Phil Kavanagh • Michael DaSilva • Judy Davis • Aileen and Kumu Hula Pekelo Day • Kumu Hula James Dela Cruz • Carol Delgado and Ron Jimenez • Theresa and David Della Lana • Derrick DeMotta • Kumu Hula Kanani Densing • Kumu ʻŌlelo ʻIokepa De Santos • Elise Dirlam-Ching and Kumu Lomi Kaleo Ching • Kimo Doiron • Dr. Keola Donaghy • Lowell Edgar • Eth-Noh-Tec (Nancy Wang and Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo) • Kandi Everett • Amy Ewing and Craig Thompson • Sami Fevaleaki • Susan Paʻiniu Floyd • Susan and Mike Foley • Carolyn and Rick Geoffroy • Marilyn Kapuamakamae Gibbons • Gaye Gibson • Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri • Tony Graziano • Kat and William Greene • John Griffith • Kumu Hula Uluwehi Guerrero • Kumu Hula Kapiʻolani Haʻo • Alistair Hay and Emerald Guitars • Debbi Hersh and Nick Keefe • Nicole Herzmark • Amber Hess • Loea Kawaikapuokalani K. Hewett • Maria Hickling • Junyah Hipol • Kumu Hula Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu • Dr. Terry Hunter • Kat Lin, Kevin, Jean-Michel, and Aristotle Hurtubise • Karen Irmscher and Buck Mueller • Ryan Jackson • Allie Jeremiah • Steve Johnson • Pua and Dean Kaʻahanui • Kaʻamea (Owen Akiona, Kimo Carlos, Kainoa Laimana, and Robbie Pagatpatan) • Sharon and Led Kaapana • Kumu Hula Kauʻi Kahaku • Kumu Hula Pualeilani Kahananui • George Kahumoku • Loea Naomi Leinaala Kalama • Myrna and Eddie Kamae • Charleen ʻĀinahau Kamaile-Johnson and Daniel Johnson • Chris Kamaka • Dennis Kamakahi • Dr. Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa • Emma Kāne • Raymond Kāne • Kumu Hula Louis “Moon” Kauakahi • Kumu Hula Raylene Kawaiaeʻa • Aunty Genoa Keawe • David Keene and Scotti Morse • Michael Keene • Puna Keliʻihoʻomalu • Sam Keliʻihoʻomalu • April Healani Kellett • Toni Kelley • Kamuela Kimokeo • Serge Kahili King • Hal Kop • Kumu Mahealani Kuamoʻo-Henry • Kumu John Keolamakaʻāinana Lake • Anita Lalwani and Jim Murdoch • Derek Lardelli • Hattie Lasua • Eric Lee • John Lehrack and Nā Leo Nahenahe Hawaiian Chorus • Mary Leong • Catherine Kuʻulei Letkey • Dr. Jonathan Liang • Claire Linden • Earl Lo • Kumu Hula Etua Lopes • Peg Lum • Tennyson Lum • Sharon Lumho • Janet Maduli • Kumu Hula Patrick Mākuakane • Norman Markowitz • Mimi Marsh • Liko Martin • Rio Mataoa • Suzanne Mathis McQueen • Isha Leilani Mok • Kuʻuipo Kalahiki Morales • Sandi Morey and Shim Farell • Larry Morningstar • Bob Morse • Diane and Skip Moses • Herman Kaʻoiwinani MossmanTachera • Marleen Mulder • Lita Munich • Uncle George Naʻope • Holly and Lenny Neimark • Mark Kailana Nelson • Rena Kalehua Nelson • Tsering Ngudu Ngokhang • Tracy Noriye and Jim Romano • Zoe and Doug Northcutt • Kathleen OʻConnor • Kumu Hula Anuhea OʻGrady • Rick Ouellette • John Ogao • Julie Pabian • Kumu Hula Luana Rivera Palacio • Jesse Parungao • Ron Puamaikalani Patricinio • Kumu Hula Kaui Peralto • Bea Perin • Betty and Mike Perkins • Cynthia Perlis • Pennie Opal Plant • Bam Post • Helena Powell • Kumu Hula Renee Kuʻuleinani Price • Rebecca Prongos • Leokāne Pryor • Kumu Oli M. Liko Puha • John-David Pomaikaʻi Andre Puli • Pūlama (Jim Romano and Paula Kauapālaukī Rudman) • Catherine and Jef Ramsey • Stanley Robley • Lin and John Roden • Laurie and Jake Rohrer • Brenda Huelani Rosch • Paula Kauapālaukī Rudman • Toni Russell • Princess Owana Kaʻōhelelani Salazar • Kumu Hulu Nui Rick Makanaaloha Kiaʻimeaokekanaka San Nicolas and ʻohana • Aldon Sanders • Lori and Bobby Santos • Greg Sardinha • Pua and Eli Saunders • Pat and Lamar Savage • Harolde Searles and Rocky the Dog • Lisa and Frank Serna • Rich Shipley • Kumu Hula Sharon Smith • Bill Schaupp • Mihana Souza • Sandra Stamos and Martin Koeppel • Dr. Amy Ku‘uleialoha Stillman • Leah Maxwell Styles and Beth Styles • Ron and Joe Sullivan • Miriam Sundheim and Nils Ohlson • Donnalei and George Sumner • Greg Suzukawa • Seiichi Tanaka • Diane Taudvin and Regen Armstrong • Laulani Teale • Dwight Tokumoto • Kumu Hula Pilialohaokalani Toribio-Christiansen • Amy Van Cleve • Nani Vieira • Vicki-Marie and Glen Ward • Susan and Ben Wengrofsky • Jim “Kimo” West • Heather Ku‘uleialoha Wolgamot • Kalina and Bob Wong • Michael Kalikolani Wong • Bill Wynne • Cyrus Yamat • Verna and Steve Yungen
Vocals, Hawaiian slack key guitar ( kī hō‘alu ), 6-string and 12-string rhythm and lead guitars, bass guitar, ‘ukulele , Hawaiian percussion instruments ( ipu heke , ‘ili‘ili , pū‘ili ), and Hawaiian bamboo nose flute ( ‘ohe hano ihu )
Vocals on Ka Loke A‘o ‘Eulopa and Beauty Hula
Steel guitar on Kaua‘i Rain and Ka Wai O Nāmolokama
Vocals on Kaua‘i Rain
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Derek Bianchi at MuscleTone Studios, Berkeley, California
Produced and arranged by Pili Moreno (Llewellyn ‘Unihipiliowailelepualu Moreno)
CD packaging and web site design by Studio Talaga
Photos of Pili by Kathy Balint
Traditional Hawaiian music is more than entertainment; it is an expression of love for the land, for all the special places known to countless generations of Hawaiians, and the special people that we've shared those places with. Hawaiian music comes from the heart, from the gut, from the land that nurtures us, and the heavens that watch over us. It is timeless poetry that speaks of swirling winds and cooling rains, mist-covered mountains and calm seas; of gods and chiefs, friends and sweethearts, of history, legend, and hope. And hula takes all that and translates it into the shape and flow of dance.
Pili (short for ʻUnihipiliowailelepualu) received his first ‘ukulele at the age of five, started playing guitar when he was thirteen, and has had his head and heart full of music ever since. The songs of Hawai‘i are truly his mele aloha (beloved songs).
He plays several styles of traditional and contemporary Hawaiian music, including slack key guitar ( kī hō‘alu ) and vocals, and has performed solo, with Hawaiian bands, and with a number of award-winning hula troupes at concerts, hula competitions, festivals, and Hawaiian gatherings of all sorts on the West Coast and in Hawai‘i. He has worked with hālau hula such as The Ladies of Moani Ke ‘Ala O Ka Mailelauli‘i and The Men of Ka Iho Makawalu A Ka Ua Kipu‘upu‘u ( Kumu Hula Clark Kahekemālamalamaika‘āina Bolivar, Jr.), Hālau Hula Nā Pua O Ka La‘akea ( Kumu Hula Shawna Kealameleku‘uleialoha Alapa‘i), Ka Ua Tuahine Polynesian Dance Company ( Kumu Hula Māhealani Uchiyama), Hula O Kahawai (Artistic Director Barbara Chung), and Hālau Hula O Nā Pua O Hawai‘i Nei ( Kumu Hula Pekelo Day). Pili has also served as cultural advisor to Nā Leo Nahenahe, the Hawaiian chorus of San Francisco.
Pili has been privileged to accompany Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning vocalists Uluwehi Guerrero and Darlene Ahuna in concert.
He performs with a beautiful cobalt-blue Emerald X20 carbon fiber guitar custom-built for him by Alistair Hay and Emerald Guitars of County Donegal, Ireland. Emerald has featured Pili in a profile on their Web site.
Pili approaches Hawaiian music with the same dedication, focus, and respect that he brings to his work as a healer and teacher.
Please visit The Path of Aloha to learn about Pili‘s work in the realms of healing and spirituality.