Kalena Parish

Kalena Parish (also known by her artist name Kalenaku) is an award‑winning Hawaiian vocalist, keyboardist, and music educator with over two decades of experience performing and inspiring audiences worldwide. She began her professional music journey as keyboardist and vocalist for the acclaimed island band Kapena in 2006, where her powerhouse vocals and musical versatility helped shape the group’s modern sound.

Classically trained in piano and voice, Kalena grew up immersed in Hawaiʻi’s music scene, singing Hawaiian music and playing ʻukulele with her father in Waikīkī before expanding into broader styles including island reggae and contemporary originals.

Kalena is a multi‑Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner and the founder and Executive Director of the Kapena School of Music, a nonprofit dedicated to music education and community empowerment. She also serves as President of the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts and contributes to the Hawaiʻi Songwriting Festival as a board member, supporting local artists and the next generation of Hawaiian music creators.