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Jerry Santos
Best known
for his work in the musical group Olomana,
singer/songwriter Jerry Santos has been a familiar presence on the Hawaii
music scene for more than five decades.
The youngest in a family of nine children he was born and raised on the
windward side of O’ahu. Jerry attended Kane’ohe Elementary, Benjamin Parker Elementary and Waiahole Elementary Schools. Entering in the seventh
grade, he went on to graduate from The Kamehameha Schools and has attended
The University of Hawaii and Kapi’olani Community
College. He received an Honorary
Doctorate Degree from the University of Hawai’i in 2024.
Like most island children, music was always a part of everyday family life.
He started with the ukulele and by the 4th grade; he had won his first
talent show. All through his formative years, he sang whenever the opportunity
presented itself. Learning guitar from hanai
sister Donna Chong, a trio was formed with brother Simon called Simple Folk
and it thrived during their teenage years.
From his
first solo professional gig at the age of 18, Jerry has gone on to
establish himself as a singer and song writer. After a few years of playing
the clubs and concerts in Honolulu, and a brief stint in California, he
returned home to team up with Robert Beaumont in late 1974 to form the
group Olomana. He helped to create a unique and
easily recognizable musical style, blending Hawaiian music with
contemporary rhythms. Over the years he has had the opportunity, as a
soloist or with Olomana, to perform his music all
over Hawai’i, the continental USA, Canada, Japan and other Pacific Island
Nations. He has performed his music with The Honolulu symphony, The
Honolulu City Ballet and The Hawaii Youth Symphony.
His work has been recognized by the Hawai’i musical community with numerous
awards. Amongst them are awards for male vocalist, for composition, and for
both traditional and contemporary Hawaiian music. Honolulu Magazine named Olomana’s first recording, “Like a Seabird in the
Wind”, #11 on their list of the Top 50 Albums of all time and Jerry’s
signature song “Ku’u Home O Kahalu’u”
was voted #7 on the top 50 Songs of all time. Olomana
was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Hawai’i Academy of
Recording Arts for their body of work over the years. In 2012 Jerry and Olomana were inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of
Fame.
Jerry is perhaps most honored by his Moe Keale;
Aloha is Award, an award that acknowledges a performer’s contributions to
his community. Over the years he and Olomana have
lent their support to hula halau, civic clubs,
community organizations, local and national charities, and have used their
visibility to bring attention to issues that are important to our island
home. The importance of sharing between the generations and having respect
for our home and our people has played an important role in carrying the
music to all parts of Hawaii from Kaho’olawe to Kalaupapa, from Hawai’i to Kaua’i.
Numerous island artists including The Brother’s Cazimero,
Na Leo Pilimehana, Hapa,
Don Ho, Melveen Leed,
The Hui Ohana and Henry Kapono,
have recorded his compositions. Jerry has also had the privilege of
appearing and recording with artists like The Makaha
Sons, Keola Beamer, Marlene Sai, Sean Na’auao, Henry Kapono, Frank
Hewett, Del Beazley, and others.
He has appeared in a number of television specials including KGMB’s “Island
Music, Island Hearts”, Public Television’s “Na Mele”
series, K-5’s “Hot Hawaiian Nights”, KITV’s “Mixed Plate in Portugal” and
“Mixed Plate at Mardi Gras” with Pamela Young, “Slack Key and Other Notes”
with Ron Jocobs and PBS’s “Hawaiian Rainbow”. He
has appeared in videos for the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, “Xeriscape”
and The Moanalua Gardens Foundation’s “Flowing to
The Sea”.
Besides his musical contributions, Jerry has also added his voice to the
need for water conservation and over the years his television and radio
commercials have become very familiar to listeners, urging them to “E malama i ka
wai”, cherish the water.
Whether performing as a soloist, or with his group Olomana,
Jerry Santos generates music from the heart with Aloha!
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