Kawaihae is an island music band formed in the summer 2000 in Japan formed by Tokyo/Yokohama/Nagoya radio personality Vance K who was born and raised on the Big Island

Hawaii (island)

The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...

 of Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

. Since the band formed, they have released three albums and is currently working on a 4th album slated for release in 2009. The band houses a large fanbase within Japan and Hawaii and has received the Group of the Year award at the 2004 Hawaii Music Awards.