HONOLULU (KHON2) — Kumu Hula and Hawaiʻi Recording artist Kealoha Kalama died at the age of 93, her family announced on June 25.
Kalama served as an entertainer, producer and consultant for over 70 years. In 1971, she started her own halau, Hula Halau O Pohai Kealoha at the Bishop Museum, where she performed for over 25 years.
Amongst other jobs, she was also a Hawaiian Studies teacher at Admiral Nimitz Elementary for 15 years.
Throughout her career in the local entertainment scene, she judged beauty pageants and hula competitions around the world, including the Merrie Monarch Festival.
She also recorded three albums and a 7″ single with Pumehana Records, her own label Kalama Records and with Genoa Keawe Records.
Kalama was a recipient of the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts. She was also an honoree of the Hawaiʻi Music Hall of Fame and active throughout the island community.
She is survived by three sisters, a daughter, two sons, four grandchildren and a goddaughter on the mainland. The family requests privacy during this time, and funeral services are currently pending.