![\"WO-060315-Ito\"](\"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekpro\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/06\/WO-060315-Ito.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHawaii Public Radio (HPR) invites the public to indulge in an evening of intimate soul with Waipio Gentry\u2019s Maryanne Ito at 7:30 p.m. June 6. (Doors open at 7 p.m.) <\/p>\n
This performance marks Ito\u2019s debut at the station\u2019s Atherton Studio, and she\u2019s using this opportunity to debut her album Waking Up, which won a Na Hoku Hanohano Award for R&B Album of the Year at the May 23 awards ceremony. <\/p>\n
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Her album also hit No. 4 on the Official UK Chart weeks after its release. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s still so surreal to me that I\u2019m actually following through,\u201d said Ito of her award. \u201cI\u2019ve dreamt about it. Most artists and musicians use their art as a meaning of expression, and to be acknowledged for it is a big deal.\u201d <\/p>\n
Her Waking Up<\/em> performance Saturday will feature Bigg John Akapo (guitar), Ely the Producer (keyboards), Christian Legaspi (bass) and JayDrums (percussion). <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to share music from my album, and I\u2019m also going to share a few tunes that inspired me and my style of music,\u201d she said of her \u201990s-inspired beats. \u201cIt\u2019s only right to pay tribute.\u201d<\/p>\n Guests also can expect her soulful jazz, R&B and hip-hop roots to manifest as she shares her album\u2019s music, which tells the story of art and fantasy, and the good and bad sides of love. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely inspired by life,\u201d she said. Back in 2011, Ito was at a crossroads. <\/p>\n \u201cI had to make some decisions on whether I really wanted to pursue music or if I wanted to continue my regular routine of life. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was safe and comfortable, but I wasn\u2019t sure if I\u2019d be living up to my full potential.\u201d <\/p>\n She chose the path less traveled and mustered the courage to take a leap of faith into the unknown. <\/p>\n \u201cI had been singing since I was 3 or 4 years old, and my mother used to sit us down and teach us church songs,\u201d she recalled. \u201cI used to love that.\u201d <\/p>\n Ito has been singing for a long time, but she isn\u2019t professionally trained. \u201cI picked up everything,\u201d she said. \u201cI pick up music through just listening, by ear.\u201d <\/p>\n Her love of singing continued into elementary school, when her talent for writing emerged. <\/p>\n \u201cI loved even writing book reports,\u201d she admitted. <\/p>\n During intermediate school, Ito began penning poetry, which eventually turned into songwriting. <\/p>\n \u201cI started putting melodies to some of my poems, and before you know it, I was writing songs as early as 12 or 13 years old.\u201d <\/p>\n General admission tickets cost $30 and $25 for HPR members. Students with ID pay $15. Tickets can be purchased online at hprtickets.com, or call the station at 955-8821. <\/p>\n HPR\u2019s Atherton Studio is located at 738 Kaheka St.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hawaii Public Radio (HPR) invites the public to indulge in an evening of intimate soul with Waipio Gentry\u2019s Maryanne Ito..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":54586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-west-oahu-coverstory"],"yoast_head":"\n