Rising Stars: Meet Daniel Ho of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Ho.

Hi Daniel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i, then moved to Los Angeles after I graduated from high school in 1986. I attended the Grove School of Music, where I studied composition and film scoring. In 1990, I signed a record deal as the leader of the contemporary jazz band Kilauea. Five years and five albums later, I fulfilled my record contract and decided it was in my best interest personally and creatively to be an independent artist/label. Since then, I’ve released over 120 albums and published 20 books for Daniel Ho Creations (DanielHo.com). In 2013, I began designing instruments: the Tiny Tenor ‘ukulele for Romero Creations (RomeroCreations.com), and the Bongolele and Shakerlele for Ohana ‘Ukuleles. Live performances, lectures and workshops round out the rest of my year and offer opportunities for me to collaborate with and learn from others.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first pothole on my musical journey was my initial record deal. Although Kilauea had top ten albums on Billboard and #1 albums on the national airplay charts (R&R and Gavin), I never received an artist royalty. In addition, there was little creative freedom as I was required to write and play within the restrictions of a specific genre. Looking back, I realize that it was truly a blessing as it inspired me to move forward on my own, without managers, agents, or record labels.

The next struggle was forming an independent record company in 1995. I started small, and to this day it remains just that – small. I learned how to do everything from playing different instruments, to recording, mixing, mastering, photography, graphic design, website design, filming, editing, and color-grading video, and promoting my music. It was tedious at first, but I’ve come to love the entire process!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m from Hawai’i so I’m mostly known as an ‘ukulele player and Hawaiian slack key guitarist, then additionally as a pianist and singer-songwriter. I think I specialize in being versatile. My background in composition and my trusty ‘ukulele have served as my passport to travel the world and collaborate with musicians from many cultures. Whether I am jamming with Taiwanese aboriginals or Mongolian nomads, or writing a Celtic-inspired piece, global music with a touch of Aloha is at the heart of my musical identity.

I am fortunate to be the recipient of six GRAMMY® Awards, and my label, Daniel Ho Creations has received fourteen Grammy nominations over the past twenty years. Two GRAMMY® nominations I hold particularly dear are “Polani (Pure),” a solo ‘ukulele album, and “E Kahe Malie (Flowing Gently),” a solo piano album. I’ve also recorded a wide variety of albums: a classical guitar and ‘ukulele album of duets with guitar maestro Pepe Romero, entitled “Aloha Espana,” “Gaze From Above,” an album with Gabriela (of Rodrigo y Gabriela), “Electric Island, Acoustic Sea,” a rock instrumental album with Tak Matsumoto (of the Japanese rock duo B’z), “Our World In Song” with pipa player Wu Man and percussionist Luis Conte, “‘Ukulele Essanyu (Let Us Be Instruments of Joy & Love)” with Ugandan Afrobeat superstar Eddy Kenzo, and “‘ikena” with Tia Carrere, which won a Grammy for Best Hawaiian Music Album.

Fun facts:
In the film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” I had the honor of singing a Hawaiian language version of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” that can be heard during the end credits.
“Pineapple Mango” is probably my most recognizable song. It is a simple ‘ukulele melody that people play and sing all over the world.

As an instrument designer, I am most proud of the Romero Creations Tiny Tenor ‘ukulele, which I co-created with Pepe Romero, Jr. To me, it is like writing a song with wood. We choose notes to compose music, and here, we use woods to create instruments.

I make it a point to strive for uniqueness in a compelling but accessible way. I guess a good example of this would be my instrumental ‘ukulele composition, “Na Pana ‘Elua (The Two Heartbeats).” It is based on a traditional Indian polyrhythm of ten-and-a-half quarter notes over seven dotted quarter notes, which looks like a challenging mathematical equation on paper, but upon listening, its flowing phrases appeal to emotions rather than rhythmic complexities. Another example is the Tiny Tenor ‘ukulele (mentioned above), which takes all the wonderful qualities of an ‘ukulele to the next level. It’s something I believe in whole-heartedly.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m not much of a risk-taker and I believe it has affected me negatively. Maybe it has to do with my island upbringing and favoring a safe or comfortable way of doing things. I have always been hesitant to spend a lot on publicity and promotions in support of my album releases and tours, and tend to invest more time and effort in the production process. There is a balance to being a self-employed artist, and it’s something I still haven’t mastered after all these years. But I can say that being adaptable has always been a strong suit, and I am optimistic that I’ll be able to take more risks in the future. I love what I do and am grateful to be able to work with inspiring friends and collaborators, and when hard work and opportunity align, maybe it’s not as much risk-taking as it is achieving one’s best.

Contact Info:

• Website: DanielHo.com
• Instagram: daniel_ho_creations
• Facebook: Daniel Ho Creations
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/DanielHodotcom
• soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/danielhocreations
• Other: RomeroCreations.com

Image Credits
Lydia Miyashiro-Ho