Cazimero brothers lend island sounds to symphony

The Spokane Symphony is promising audiences a bit of warmth this weekend as the Brothers Cazimero bring traditional Hawaiian songs and dance to the stage Saturday.

The symphony will perform with the duo for the first half of the concert. The brothers – on acoustic bass and double-necked guitar – will finish out the concert by themselves, accompanied by hula dancers from the Royal Dance Company.

Robert and Roland Cazimero have made an indelible imprint on the face of contemporary Hawaiian music, with more than 30 years of recording and performing. Their musical talent, showmanship and humor have bridged cultural gaps.  

The Grammy-nominated duo was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and 2007.  In 2008, the Brothers Cazimero received lifetime achievement awards from the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts. Their music has been used in films and television, including 2008’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

In 1975, at the height of the renaissance of Hawaiian culture, Robert Cazimero founded a school for male hula dancers, called the Halau Na Kamalei and promptly won an award at the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, often called the “Superbowl of Hula.” Thirty years later, Robert and his men swept the awards with their warrior-like dancing. As a respected master teacher, Robert Cazimero travels all over sharing his expertise with hula aficionados. 

A pre-concert hula demonstration will be provided by Halau Hula O Kuulei, directed by Spokane resident Kuulei Johnson, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Founders Gallery.