Dennis David Kahekilimamaoikalanikeha Kamakahi (March 31, 1953 – April 28, 2014) was a Hawaiian slack key guitarist, recording artist, music composer, and Christian minister. He was a three-time Grammy Award winner, and in 2009 he was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame. Professional music career In 1972, Kamakahi became a member of a Hawaiian music group known as Na Leo O Nu'uanu. His first recording with Na Leo O Nu'uanu was the album Ia 'Oe E Ka La Volume 1, released on the Nakahili Productions label with Palani Vaughan. It was the first of a series of albums based on the life of King David Kalakaua. The second recording of the group, released 1974, was recorded live at a music festival in Waimea, Hawaii, called The Waimea Music Festival. The festival featured many of Hawaii's popular entertainers of the time including Gabby Pahinui, Fred Punahoa, The Sunday Manoa and Genoa Keawe. It was his tenure with Eddie Kamae and the Sons of Hawaii (1974–95) after replacing Gabby Pahinui that led Kamakahi to become one of Hawaii's most prolific songwriters in the Hawaiian language, composing around 500 songs. In 1974, Kamakahi recorded with the Sons of Hawaii for the National Geographic Society's Music of the World series. This was the beginning of seven albums under the Hawaii Sons label and the recording of many of Kamakahi's music compositions. In 1978 he became a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers and created Naukilo Publishing Company, a music publishing firm. From 1988 until 2004, he continued to work with Kamae, recording soundtracks for several Hawaiian documentary films: LI‘A: The Legacy of a Hawaiian Man, Listen to the Forest, The Hawaiian Way: The Art and Tradition of Slack Key Music, Words, Earth & Aloha: The Source of Hawaiian Music, Luther Kahekili Makekau: A One Kine Hawaiian Man, Hawaiian Voices: Bridging Past to Present, Sons of Hawai'i: A Sound, A Band, A Legend, Hawaiian Son: The Life and Music of Eddie Kamae and Keepers of the Flame: The Legacy of Three Hawaiian Women, all produced by Eddie and Myrna Kamae as part of the Hawaiian Legacy Foundation series. Kamakahi launched his solo career in 1996, releasing his first slack key guitar CD Pua'ena, (Glow Brightly) co-produced by Howard Johnston and pianist George Winston, under Dancing Cat Records. In 1998 he released his second slack key guitar CD for Dancing