Multifaceted musician Aaron Mahi has inspired generations

Aaron Mahi, a musician, composer, bandleader, recording artist, kahu and conductor of the Royal Hawaiian Band for 24 years, died Saturday. He was 70 and had been in declining health for several years.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi described Mahi as “a true legend in the music world.”

“Aaron’s legacy as conductor of the Royal Hawaiian Band for nearly a quarter-century leaves an indelible mark on our community and our culture,” Blangiardi said in a news release Sunday morning.

“His dedication and passion for preserving and sharing the rich musical traditions of our Hawaiian heritage touched countless lives. Aaron was more than a musician; he was a beloved figure whose influence extended far beyond the notes he played. His commitment to excellence and love of our island’s music inspired generations, and his loss will be deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing him or experiencing his art. … We will forever cherish his contributions to our community and the joy he brought to our lives through his music.”

Veteran guitarist Bobby Ingano remembers playing with Mahi, George Kuo and Martin “Gramps” Pahinui at the Waikiki Beach Marriott back when the hotel was a hot spot for Hawaiian music in Waikiki.

“I used to sit with them every Sunday,” Ingano said. “Aaron and them would fill the room on Sundays. He and Martin were the jolliest of the group — kolohe, comics, jokers.”

Ingano added that Mahi was also a talented and versatile cook.

“One day at his house, there was a big meal: everyone was praying and then they were cleaning up the plates. I saw this (Filipino) dish, pork guisantes, pork belly with beans. I asked, ‘Who made this?’ Aaron said, ‘This is my first attempt. I wanted to try it.’ I tasted one and, I hate to say it, it was better than my mother’s! I told him, ‘You cook this better than the Filipinos.’”

Born July 9, 1953, in Honolulu, Aaron David Mahi was drawn to music at an early age. At age 14, he received a mentoring scholarship from the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. He graduated from Kamehameha Schools in 1971 and continued his musical studies at the Hartt School in Connecticut and with conductor Herbert Blomstedt at La Sierra University in California.

Mahi returned to Hawaii in the mid-1970s. He performed with the Windward Symphony Orchestra and recorded as a member of two Hawaiian music groups: Hui Aloha ‘Aina Tuahine and Kaimana.

In 1978 he was commissioned to write string arrangements for “Captain Cook, A Bicentennial Tribute 1778-1978”, an album commemorating the bicentennial arrival of Captain Cook.

The following year, Mahi joined the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra as a bassist, and occasionally performed as a conductor. In 1981, Honolulu Mayor Aileen Anderson appointed him conductor of the Royal Hawaiian Band. He held that position for 24 years.

Mahi was the first Native Hawaiian to serve as conductor since Charles E. King retired in 1941. He was the only conductor, other than Heinrich “Henri” Berger, the “father” of the modern Royal Hawaiian Orchestra, who was fluent in English, Hawaiian and German. He was thus able to read German documents from Berger’s 43 years as conductor.

Mahi was an active curator of the band’s Hawaiian heritage. He sought out lesser-known compositions by classical Hawaiian composers, used piano scores of lost orchestrations to recreate them, and continued the band’s tradition of touring outside of Hawaii with tours of Europe and Japan, as well as the mainland.

In 1983, while on tour in Germany, Mahi was given a “schellenbaum” (a traditional German musical instrument known to English speakers as a “jingling Johnnie”) to replace the band’s original schellenbaum, which had been looted some time after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893.

In 1988 he collaborated with the Friends of the Royal Hawaiian Band, a private community group, to produce and release two CDs recorded during the group’s concert at Carnegie Hall that year.

In 2003, the Federal Republic of Germany awarded him the Bundesverdeinstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit) for his continued success in renewing and strengthening traditional cultural ties between Hawaii and Germany.

Public opinion reacted considerably in 2004 when the newly elected mayor, Mufi Hannemann, announced that he would replace Mahi with a high school orchestra teacher. Mahi’s last concert as conductor took place on 13 February 2005.

A philanthropist Alii offered to lead a campaign to create a new band for Mahi that would be a true rival to the Royal Hawaiian Band. Mahi graciously declined the offer.

Commenting publicly on his ouster, Mahi expressed his feelings in Hawaiian: “Mai nana inoino na hewa ke kanaka, aka ahui kala ama’ema’e no.” (“Look not upon the sins of men, but forgive and be cleansed.”)

In the years since, Mahi has continued his work as a musician, composer, conductor, recording artist, researcher, and cultural resource. He has performed music in Waikiki with Kuo and Pahinui, conducted cultural research in Hawaii and elsewhere, and written new musical arrangements for the annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contests.

Mahi has also served as kahu of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and kahu of the Makiki Community of Christ Church. From 2009 to 2021, Mahi was a member of the Partners in Development Foundation’s Hui Nohona Cultural Team.

He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts in 2021.

Memorial ceremonies are underway.