NA MELE presents a special encore of the smooth sounds of the late master steel guitarist Jerry Byrd. Byrd was joined for this nostalgic journey by four master musicians in their own right: Hiram Olsen Jr. on guitar and vocals; Dennis Keohokalole on ukulele and vocals; Gary Aiko on upright bass and vocals; and the late Ned Ka’apana on guitar and vocals.
Witness Hōkūle‘a’s inaugural 1976 journey from Hawai‘i to Tahiti, the preparations leading up to it, and the behind-the-scenes turmoil that threatened to derail the voyage. Rifts are seen among leadership, between leadership and the crew, and among crewmembers. The film by Dale Bell was co-produced by the National Geographic Society and WQED Pittsburgh.
Host Rick Steves delves deep into the Italian heartland, where la dolce vita is a way of life. Rick visits his favorite stretch of Mediterranean coastline, as he goes fishing for anchovies, sips wine out of rustic barrels, brings flowers to hilltop cemeteries, and savors twinkling Mediterranean vistas.
Join writer and host Rick Steves as he experiences the local culture, cuisine and fun in some of Europe’s most interesting places.
Siena and Tuscany’s Wine Country Italy’s Siena, once a proud and independent city-state, retains its traditions. Rick enjoys a front-row seat at a wild horse race, marvels at cultural treasures, then heads to the wine country.
Travel the country in search of unknown 1920s artists, when the music of ordinary Americans was recorded for the first time, transforming music forever, in a three-part film narrated by Robert Redford.
Out of the Many, the One
Explore the origins of various regional music genres. Joseph Kekuku, regarded as the inventor of the steel guitar, is at the center of the Hawaiian slack key story. This episode also traces the hybrid cultures evident in Tejano music, along with stories behind Cajun music and the music of the Hopi tribe.
In this encore presentation of a vintage in-studio concert, Keola Beamer plays alongside his mother, the late Auntie Nona Beamer and his wife, Moana Beamer.
Enjoy two iconic works from the country’s premier Latino dance company: CARMEN.maquia, a modern take on Bizet’s passionate opera; and Club Havana, a virtuosic reimagining of a sizzling nightclub by Cuban-born choreographer Pedro Ruiz.
In this vintage performance from the PBS Hawai‘i studios, two outstanding Kaua‘i groups offer their special style of Hawaiian music. Na Pali and Manuakepa infuse their talents into traditional and original material. Songs include “Limahuli,” “Hokulea Hula,” “Moonlight Lady,” “Lokelani Blossoms,” “Hawaiian Love Chant” and others.
The commemoration of Queen Emma’s 1871 visit to the upland forest of West Kauai, as experienced by three hula halau, is the subject of this PBS Hawai‘i-produced film. It follows the halau and their kumu hula to Kokee for an annual festival of hula and chant, Eo e Emalani i Alaka’i (Emalani Festival): Tony Conjugacion’s Hālau Nā Wainohia; Charlani Kalama’s Hālau Ha’a Hula O Kekau’ilani Nā Pua Hala O Kailua; and Healani Youn’s The Ladies of Ke’alaokalaua’e. Hawaiian music icon Nina Keali’iwahamana narrates.
Singer Melveen Leed is joined by her hula dancer daughter Kaaikaula Naluai at the PBS Hawai‘i studios. Best known for contemporary Hawaiian, jazz and country, Moloka‘i girl Melveen also has deep roots in traditional Hawaiian song.