Aunty Genoa Keawe (falsetto)

The beloved queen of Hawaiian falsetto, famous for holding impossibly long notes in her signature song "ʻAlika." Aunty Genoa sang in Waikīkī for decades, performing every Thursday at the Waikīkī Beach Marriott for more than ten years, until a month before she died in 2008 at 89.

• Died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 89, at her family home in Papakōlea, Honolulu.
• Signature song: "ʻAlika." Her technique used haʻi, the break between upper and lower voice that defines Hawaiian falsetto.
• Weekly Thursday shows at the Waikīkī Beach Marriott for more than 10 years; her last performance was Jan. 31, 2008.
• Honors: Nā Hōkū Hanohano Female Vocalist of the Year (1995, for Hula Hou); Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame (2001); Nā Hōkū Lifetime Achievement Award; Living Treasure (2004).

Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Genoa Keawe obituary (2008)

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