HIDE MAHA
ABOUT
Childhood to student years
He started learning the electric organ and piano at the age of five, and composed music using the piano and recorder from elementary school. When he entered junior high school, he taught himself the guitar, and then began working as a singer-songwriter.
At the time, an unprecedented band boom was sweeping the nation, and at the age of 16, he started his own band, "NEW WAVE INFORMATION," while still in high school. He was in charge of vocals, guitar, and songwriting. It was a simple three-person rock band, but it swept up numerous awards in contests at the time.
In 1989, she represented her home prefecture at the national competition, Shimamura Musical Instruments' Music Champ, where she won the Excellence Award. She also made it to the finals of the Teens Music Festival in the same year, winning the Best Vocal and Excellence Awards. She also made it to the finals of every competition she entered, including Yamaha's Band Explosion, and won prizes. She was then scouted by two major music agencies, but decided to move to Tokyo to study jazz, a genre she had no experience in.
At Shobi University, where he studied in the Jazz and Popular Music Department, he studied under the late Toshio Honda and Kiyoshi Yamaya.
After graduation to present
In 1994, he formed the original rock band "REVIVE." As the vocalist and guitarist, he resumed his active songwriting and live performance activities. One year after the band's formation, he moved his base of operations to famous live music venues such as "Harajuku Ruido" and "Shibuya Eggman," where he performed monthly, regularly attracting audiences of 200 to 300 people and earning high praise from the industry for his sound and sound.
In 1999, he became fascinated by the possibilities and charm of the ukulele and decided to add it to his musical activities.
From the following year, he began participating in numerous Hawaiian events as a professional, performing alongside artists from Japan and abroad. In particular, he received various advice not only on stage but also from the late Uncle George Naope, known as Hawaii's Living National Treasure.
After that, he also began teaching ukulele and guitar. Currently, he is giving private lessons in various locations, as well as group lessons in Nakano, Suginami, Koto, and other areas.
In 2001, he began working on various production projects at the request of production companies, including film music, commercial music, website music, and CD production.
In 2004, he formed his own Hawaiian band, "Hide & Family." Since its formation, the band has performed at the annual Hawaiian event held at Meguro Gajoen (Club Lounge) for over 15 years. They have also performed at Hotel New Otani (TRADER VIC'S, etc.) every year for Golden Week, Christmas, countdown live shows, etc.
In 2006, he performed a Hawaiian live concert for 500 people at Roppongi Velfarre, and the unprecedented and innovative performance attracted a lot of attention. He has also participated in various events at various venues. He continues to perform live energetically, mainly as a band member and solo artist.
In 2009, he learned the traditional Hawaiian guitar technique of slack key guitar from his mentor, Yuki Yamauchi, a master of the Hawaiian music industry who was the catalyst for forming "Hide & Family," and incorporated this into his own sound.
He has since performed live with many top musicians, including three times in 2013 and 2014 with Nathan Aweau, winner of the main awards for Best Male Vocalist and Song of the Year at the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, Hawaii's equivalent of the Grammy Awards.
On June 3, 2016, Yuki Yamauchi gave him the Hawaiian name Hide Maha.
Maha means a rest that appears in musical scores. It also means "easy" or "relaxed."
At this point, Yamauchi said, "Rests are not just a way to rest, but an important element of music. When you pay attention to rests, the music takes a big leap forward. I want you to express Hide's way of life as it is..." and so on. We had a one-on-one conversation for over four hours, and he gave me many important words. This day will become an unforgettable starting point.
In 2019, she produced her first album since changing her name, "Kumu Kahi," which contains 10 original songs. It was released in October of the same year. "Kumu Kahi" is a Hawaiian word meaning "one teacher" or "origin." The title of the album comes from the song she composed on the day she was given the name Maha, which she felt moved by that experience.
Since then, up to the present day, he has arranged songs of various genres, including original Hawaiian and Jawaian songs.
He continues to sing while playing Slack Key Guitar and ukulele.
▷ Ukuleles used: Ceniza / Koaloha / Kamaka Luna / Shimo Guitars etc.
▷Guitar used: Martin / Headway / Shimo Guitars etc.