About Us
Aloha! E Komo Mai! We are a Hawaiian entertainment group based in the desert state of Arizona. Na Leo Kupono, when translated from Hawaiian to English, can mean "the natural voices" or "the natural blend". All but 2 of the members of Na Leo Kupono are Hawaiian and were either born & raised in Hawai'i or have lived in Hawai'i. Rudy, Wendy, Myril (Kaleo), 'Awapuhi, Nalani & Nanea are from the island of 'Oahu, while Kamaki is from the Big Island of Hawai'i. Arizonian Jim is our newest band member.
We have Rudy on guitar & vocals, Kamaki on bass, Jim on ukulele and Kaleo on the congas. 'Awapuhi, Nanea and Nalani are our talented trio of hula dancers. Wendy is our female vocal soloist. Our newest Polynesian dancers are the very beautiful Pua, Taina & Elena. Not only do our dancers perform the graceful hawaiian hula, but also dances from the islands of Tahiti, New Zealand and Tonga. We are also able to bring in the exciting male fire knife of Samoa.
The members of Na Leo Kupono are seasoned performers. Before moving to Arizona only 2 years ago, Rudy, Nalani & 'Awapuhi had been performing in Hawai'i for over 11 years. They had a weekly gig at Celebrity Resorts in Waikiki for over 3 years. Nalani & 'Awapuhi danced for the late Kumu Puluelo Park's hula halau, Na Hula 'O Puamana. Nanea had danced for Kumu Sonny Ching's Halau Na Mamo 'O Pu'uanahulu. Kamaki has been playing bass in various Hawaiian groups for 20 years here in the valley. He is also in the rock band, Red Crush. Wendy excels at singing solo but can also sing with Nalani & 'Awapuhi as a trio. Rudy has been a professional musician himself for over 30 years, performing in places such as hotels in Waikiki, Polynesian shows, conventions, parties and weddings. Jim has a similar repertoire, playing with various groups for over 20 years. Our group has performed at the 2009 Arizona Aloha Festival. Pua & Taina have performed at various venues, including a Maori number for the Olympics. The sisters are purely of Hawaiian & Tongan descent.
We are all about professionalism and having fun with our audiences at the same time.
If you aren't from the islands or just haven't been back in a while, we will surely bring Hawai'i back to you. Book Na Leo Kupono for your next event and bask in true Hawaiian ambience!