BY THE NUMBERS…
7
First Place finishes at the Merrie Monarch Festival which honors the legacy left by King David Kalākaua, who inspired the perpetuation of our traditions, native language and the arts. These awards included Overall Men’s Hula, and Overall Festival Winner.
16
First Place finishes at the King Kamehameha Hula Competition. This is an international competition featuring men’s hula, women’s hula, individual chanters and senior women.
25
Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards, Hawai'i’s premiere music awards given by the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts.
3
Graduated classes of advanced dancers, chanters and kumu hula through the formal ‘uniki process. Steeped in tradition and hula teachings, the ʻūniki rituals provide the passing of hula traditions, chants, and dances from the hula lineage bestowed to Robert by his Kumu Maiki Aiu Lake. This transfer of knowledge and tradition from generation to generation of hula practitioners establishes his legacy as a culture bearer guiding future generations of kumu hula and hālau hula.
1969 - Present
Recording artist with The Sunday Manoa, The Brothers Cazimero and solo. Most recent recording titled “Mine” was released in Fall, 2021.
1977 - 2007
With brother Roland and a support team, created and executed on annual concepts to produce and perform in an annual May Day Concert, “The Brothers Cazimero at the Waikiki Shell” with Hālau Nā Kamalei o Līlīlehua and featured guests. Hawai’i Public Radio Noe Tanigawa states “…for 30 years they staged extravaganzas that remain to this day, the last word on celebrating May Day in Honolulu.”
1982 – 1994
Performed in the longest running headliner show “The Brothers Cazimero” at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
2005
Nominated for the Grammy Award, Best Hawaiian Music Album “Some Call It Aloha..Don’t Tell” (The Brothers Cazimero). This was the first year the Grammys recognized Hawaiian music in its own category.
Allowed the film documentation of the Hālau’s (hula school’s) journey to the Merrie Monarch and became the subject of the documentary “Na Kamalei: Men of Hula” released in 2008.
2006
Inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame, with Roland as
The Brothers Cazimero.
2008
Distinguished as a Ford Foundation USA Fellow, awarded as a Composer, Musician and Kumu Hula.
Recognized with Roland as The Brothers Cazimero by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Artists with the Lifetime Achievement Award
Invited to perform at the nationally and internationally recognized dance festival “Fall for Dance” in New York City, New York.
2010
Created non-profit Wāhea Foundation to perpetuate the art of hula with an emphasis on male hula.
2011
Served as the primary consultant to the film “Haumana” later released as a full-length feature film in 2013.
2012
Recipient of the David Malo Award for individuals of Hawaiian ancestry who have achieved great accomplishment in their lives in their respective fields.
2013
Invited to participate in the Merrie Monarch “Hōʻike” performance, Robert chose 50 dancers from the past and present to honor the Merrie Monarch’s 50th Anniversary.
2014
Invited to present at the Maui TEDx Conference. The title was “A Brilliant Life” and included both music and hula.
Presented with the inaugural “Malia Kau” Award for his “immense contributions to continuing the hula legacy” and in recognition of his role in “perpetuating the continuous chain of hula traditions”.
2015
Recognized by the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation and awarded the Native Hawaiian Artist Fellowship grant to choreograph new works representing part of the epic tale of the goddess Pele.
2017
Collaborated with a men’s hula school based in San Francisco to create an all men’s dance performance at the Palace of Fine Arts. Sold out in four hours, with a second show added, this performance displayed a spectrum of dance from “traditional” to progressive with as many as 21 men dancing at once.
2018
Created and executed on a vision to create the May Day Revival Concert as a solo artist with performing guests on the Bishop Museum Lawn in Honolulu, Hawai’i. This was the first “Cazimero” concert since the iconic Brothers Cazimero Annual May Day concert series ended in 2007.
2019
Honored with the “E Ola Mau Ka Hula” Award this Fall in recognition of his lifetime of achievement in perpetuating hula.
2019 - Present
Performs as the honored and legacy guest in the Annual May Day Concert, “May Day…the Tradition Continues”. This May Day concept was created when Robert asked Keauhou to “take the torch” from the Brothers Cazimero by starting a new annual performance.
2020 - Present
In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, initiated and participated in multiple hula workshops which have included attendees from Asia, Europe, South America, Mexico and Canada.
SAMPLE OF VENUES PLAYED
Performed with the Brothers Cazimero, Solo, and
or as a Kumu Hula, Master Hula Teacher.
Carnegie Hall, New York, New York
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California
World Expo, Brisbane, Australia
Wolftrap Foundation for the Performing Arts, Vienna, Virginia
Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, California
Benroya Hall, Seattle, Washington
New York City Dance Center, New York
Waikīkī Shell, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Hawai‘i Theater, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Kāhilu Theater, Waimea, Hawaiʻi
Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Kahului, Hawaiʻi
Kauai Museum Benefit, Līhu‘e, Hawai’i
Ruth B. Shannon Center, Whittier, California
Lincoln Theater, Napa Valley, California
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Anchorage, Alaska
Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, New York, New York
Soka Performing Arts Center, Aliso Viejo, California
NHK Osaka Hall, Osaka, Japan
Aster Plaza, Hiroshima, Japan
Sapporo Education and Cultural Hall, Sapporo, Japan
Showa Women’s University Hitomi Memorial Hall,
Tokyo, Japan