Nã Leo Pilimehana

by Jason AnkenyThe Hawaiian pop vocal trio Na Leo Pilimehana (the voices blending together) comprised Nalani Choy, Angela Morales and Lehua Kalima, longtime friends who began singing together while still teenagers. In 1984, as high school seniors, they entered the annual Hawaiian youth talent contest, Brown Bags to Stardom, taking home top prize with their original song Local Boys; a subsequent single release became one of the best-selling records in the history of the islands, winning the Na Hoku Hanohano Award (the Hawaiian equivalent of the Grammy) for Single of the Year. Despite their enormous popularity, Na Leo Pilimehana went on hiatus soon after to allow its members to attend college and begin families; they did not resurface until 1993, issuing the album Friends and winning another Na Hoku Hanohano for the title track. Flying with Angels followed in 1995; not only did the LP sweep the Hoku Awards, but its title single spent two months atop the Hawaiian charts. 1997s Colours was another blockbuster, and its single The Rest of Your Life even cracked the Top 40 on the national Adult Contemporary radio chart. Na Leo Pilimehanas penetration of the mainstream continued in 1999 when their cover of the Phoebe Snow classic Poetry Man reached the AC charts as well. Colours followed in mid-2000 and I Miss You My Hawaii emerged a year later.