Mark Yamanaka: “Just a regular dude that loves music”
By Catherine Tarleton
Only in Hawai‘i. Only in Hilo, actually, can you buy a car, turn on the radio, and drive away listening to a hit song by the guy who sold it to you.
Nine-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winner Mark Yamanaka may be a musical superhero, but by day he’s the mild-mannered employee of Aiona Car Sales. The Hawaiian family-run business is happy to accommodate Mark’s “gigging” schedule.
“A lot of people ask, ‘Why are you still working?’” says Mark. “I tell them it makes me feel normal. In this industry, you get a lot of attention, and it can change your perception…I’m just a regular dude that loves music.”
Mark’s albums reflect that love unquestionably. His first, Lei Puakenikeni, was nominated for 10 Hōkū Awards in 2011. He took home five—including Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Most Promising Artist of the year—a “trifecta” sweep won only twice before by Willie K in 1992 and Keali‘i Reichel in 1995. His second album, Lei Maile won five Hōkū Awards in May 2014.
Although Mark was born on O‘ahu, his parents wanted their keiki to grow up close to their grandparents, so they moved when he was two, and he has been a Hilo-boy ever since. The Yamanaka’s are not a musical family—or weren’t.
“I’m the first to pursue the journey I’m on,” says Mark. “I’m the first pioneer in the family to undertake the entertainment business.”
Mark’s musical calling began when he was about 13.
“In Hilo Union (Elementary School) the fourth grade had ‘ukulele class, but I had no interest in learning how to play at the time,” said Mark. “Four grades later, hearing my friend playing a song from the radio—I was hooked. That was the spark.”
Inspired, he borrowed his father’s 70s-era Kamaka, fixed and tuned it up, and was soon consumed in his room, practicing the opening licks to “Darcie’s Lullaby” by Island Rhythms over and over.
When he had it down, he was ready for something new; it wasn’t long before his dad recognized his dedication and took him to the music store for a new ‘ukulele of his own. And when he wanted to try his hand at guitar, he taught himself by listening and playing with others. He doesn’t read music and has no formal training, but that has never slowed him down.
“Sometimes something in your heart says you want to do this. I can’t even help myself. It is such a deep passion for me,” he says.
He worked to develop his poi-smooth falsetto by listening to Gary Haleamau, Dennis Pavao, Darren Benitez, and mentor, Kumu Hula Johnny Lum Ho.
“For me it was mimicking… trying to sound like them,” says Mark.
According to Wikipedia:
“Falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, “false”) is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal cords, in whole or in part. Commonly cited in the context of singing, falsetto, a characteristic of phonation by both men and women, is also one of four main spoken vocal registers recognized by speech pathology.”
A much simpler explanation is the Hawaiian leo ki‘eki‘e (high voice).
At the age of 17, he joined the band for Ho’s Hālau O Ka Ua Kani Lehua, where he connected with fellow musicians Bert Naihe, guitar and background vocals, and Eddy Atkins, bass.
“They took me in and showed me the ropes,” says Mark, who was at first intimidated by the kuleana that comes with playing Hawaiian music.
“I don’t have any Hawaiian blood,” he says. “And I struggled with that, with insecurities, carrying a ‘ukulele around and not being Hawaiian. I had thoughts that maybe I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“I worked hard through that,” says Mark. “I had taken Hawaiian classes in high school and college [at University of Hawai‘i at Hilo]. “But at the time there was nobody to use it with—so I could understand but not converse back.”
Mark says he worked hard to perfect his Hawaiian enunciation and pronunciation. For song lyrics, he writes poetry in English and works with trusted friends who are fluent in Hawaiian to translate and interpret the words.
“Winning the [Hawaiian Music Album] Hōkū really put me over the top,” says Mark. “It feels amazing; like I have gotten my heroes’ respect—like I have come into their world of expertise.”
Mark loves all genres of music. Lei Puakenikeni includes a cover of Collin Raye’s country song, “Love, Me,” as well as a hymn, “How Great Thou Art” (“Ke Akua Mana E”).
At a Hilo memorial for the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Mark played the classic Irish ballad “Danny Boy,” beautifully punctuated by the liquid silver steel guitar of Dwight Tokumoto. At a concert in Japan, Mark dedicated an Eagles pop hit, “Love Will Keep Us Alive” to those who had suffered loss in the 2011 earthquake.
Mark, Eddy, and Bert go to Japan for concerts six or seven times a year, about every other month starting in March. It is an experience that Mark finds particularly rewarding, perhaps because the Japanese passion mirrors his own, and perhaps because Hawaiian audiences don’t always realize what musical treasures play in their own backyards, or on car radios.
“It’s just like the beautiful beach that you always go to,” says Mark. “From their point of view, it’s so different. There is a lot of appreciation,” says Mark. “They want to learn about Hawaiian culture…and we seem to be coming to a point in the Hawai‘i-Japan relationship where they also want to share—the hula, the music—themselves.” Mark says that he admires the dedication of Japanese dancers and musicians he meets and can see the discipline they have.
“They want to fine-tune what they are learning and get beyond the language and just mimicking what they see. Their dedication is pretty unsurpassed,” says Mark. “Japanese people take anything like that and make it their own—they want to be authentic. They don’t have that connection with the ‘āina, the kai, and will always rely on kama‘āina people to learn more—to learn the whole aspect of living here in Hawai‘i.”
“I’ve seen it evolve,” says Mark. “They truly want to learn what the songs, the chants, the dances represent. We could learn from that, too, not to take it all for granted.”
Father of two, Mark makes time between work and music to be with his son Jorden, 12, and daughter Ryane, 9. He’s written songs for both, and in fact, “Kaleo‘onalani,” which is also Ryane’s middle name, was the 2011 Nā Hōkū Song of the Year. Jorden is a musician himself, playing ‘ukulele and drums and loves singing and dancing. Like Dad, he’s had no formal training and Mark’s not pushing him.
“It’s a tough industry, and I want him to concentrate on school. I am there to support, not to push,” Mark says. “It’s not spoken, but I can sense his admiration for what I do. I know he is watching. I know he is listening.”
Mark Yamanaka can be heard at entertainment venues, cultural events and fundraisers statewide, and his albums are available at your favorite music retailers and online. ❖
Contact Mark Yamanaka: yamanakamusic@gmail.com
Contact writer Catherine Tarleton: catherinetarleton@gmail.com
Catherine Tarleton
Cathey has been a freelance writer on the island since 2007, following a long career in the visitor industry. She is a regular contributor to Ke Ola and other Hawai‘i publications, and is the author of “Potluck: Stories That Taste Like Hawai‘i,” and “Mr. Mauna Kea,” a biography of longtime boss Adi Kohler. She encourages everyone to find the way to tell their story.
