Alumni Kalani Pe’a took home his fourth Grammy award last week. He graduated from Colorado Mesa University (CMU) in 2006 and won Best Regional Roots Album at the 67th annual award show.
Pe’a won the award for his fifth studio album, “Kuini,” which means “queen” in Hawaiian. The album features 11 tracks all in the Hawaiian language that seamlessly combine traditional and contemporary styling. Pe’a was the first Hawaiian artist to win this category back in 2017 for his debut album E Palea. He is still the only Hawaiian to have won since.
Assistant Professor of Mass Communication Dr. Laurena Davis remarked about how Pe’a excelled in promoting his career through media and linked that to his success. She was one of his professors during his time at CMU.
“I am unsurprised to see him being so successful in the entertainment world,” said Davis. “Kalani [Pe’a] was always very authentic about himself and proud of his culture. So I think it’s particularly wonderful that he is recording roots music that preserves his culture in Hawaii.”
Davis added that Pe’a was generous in sharing his culture with others. She remembered being introduced to spam musubi— a spam, seaweed and rice snack— when he brought enough to share with class one day.
In 2019, he was honored by CMU and designated as a distinguished alumni. In an article with CMUNow, Pe’a said that he was able to build confidence, knowledge and wisdom, qualities that helped him pursue his music career, during his time as a student.
Pe’a started out in the music department but found it wasn’t the right fit. Pe’a was a more non-traditional artist and struggled to conform to the technical confines. He said he learned to sing from his heart while he was growing up in Hawaii.
When Pe’a graduated, he returned to Hawaii and taught preschool for nearly a decade before recording his first album. Winning his first Grammy opened the door for more opportunities to tour and record. As a result, Pe’a was finally able to take music from jsut a passion to his full-time job.
The album was made possible through contributions from many Hawaiian non-profit groups such as the Council for Native Hawaiian advancement. Because of his time at CMU and his connection to Colorado, Pe’a was also supported by The Colorado Relief Music Fund on this Grammy winning album.
