E26 Handsome Hawaiian Hammah: Young Musician DILLON PAKELE

Some lights don’t go out—they move. When Dillon lost dad, Kaulana Pakele of Mana‘o Company, & later hanai uncle, the legendary Fiji, the room dimmed. What came next is a story of regeneration with respect: a bedroom-turned-studio in a Hawaiian homestead, a couch as a reminder of sacrifice, & unwavering  faith & aloha.

The Legacy Project is beloved old songs & new with intention & honor.  Featuring collabs & nods to Ehukai, Mana‘o Co., Sudden Rush, Jordan T, & more. And how influence is measured by integrity, not followers. #BOOMkaYAHYOU

Beyond music, Dillon’s heart beats for his lāhui (community). As Choose Aloha Ambassador, he brings joy to schools where 30 minutes can change a day... & a life! Dillan reframes pain into songs that always point up.

Subscribe for more stories that blend faith, culture, & making music with aloha; pls. also leave a review to our lāhui grow.

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Transcript

Processing Sudden Loss And Faith

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Aloha Mamika. Aloha. I want to say welcome to my godson Dylan Pakeley. Thank you for coming on, Dills. Thank you for having me. And he's my real deal godson. His dad and I went to high school together. That is that's right, Vikings. His dad is Kaulana Pakele, who is of the Mana'o Company. And that leads me straight into our first topic. In 2020, dad passed away suddenly of an instant massive heart attack. Sorry. And that was now five years ago as of the date of this taping. It has been a long road, Dylan. And you just celebrated, in fact, the third Kaulana Bash, which was to celebrate his life back in our hometown of Hilo. Catch us up. How are you? And what have you been up to?

SPEAKER_03 1:08

I'm doing good. It's uh not gonna lie, it always feels like day one ever since he's passed. Never, never a day that I don't miss him. Um, but we've continued to move forward and continue to press into what he would have wanted, which is music. I know he would have wanted that. Um so we have an album that we're working on. We're remaking some of his songs, some of the songs that he's been a part of with different groups, and it's gonna be a legacy project that we're working on.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

So is it called Legacy Project?

SPEAKER_03 1:39

That's kind of the title we're shooting for. Something around legacy. If not the word legacy, then something around that.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

But it is a legacy. And KP Kalana Pakele, he did, he envisioned this alongside with your mom, of course, one of my dearest sister friends, Lise. They foresaw God's vision and his call was Pakele Mele. And you guys have been living that out. I mean, it includes things like a recording studio in your Hawaiian homestead home. You in fact moved out of your bedroom.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

You moved I even have a bedroom. I don't have a bed, I sleep on the couch.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

It's a true story. I went over because I'm always visiting and dropping by. We go CPK, I hang out with Lise, and I saw you sleeping on the couch, and I was like, Oh, how come he's sleeping on the couch today? And your mom goes, No, that's that's where he sleeps because we have the recording studio. I went, that's right. You guys put the studio in your bedroom.

SPEAKER_03 2:34

Yeah, but also growing up, we never I know when we first um with me, my sister, Shanto, um, Kainoa, mom, dad. I think we're living in Kaloilo at one point, and there was only one bedroom and five of us. So um, you know, I've been used to just sleeping wherever we can, whether it's the carpet or if we get room for go on the bed sometimes, then perfect. But that's how I grew up, just local. Sleep wherever you can.

Turning A Bedroom Into A Studio

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Yes, you come on, Uso. So you really did um you you overcame that tragic suddenly, but I wanted to ask how, especially as you're kind of a public fig figure, dad definitely was. I I talked to mom on this podcast previously, and now I want to ask you the same question I asked her is how did you overcome the suddenly with everyone watching?

SPEAKER_03 3:24

Um, first and foremost, it wouldn't have been possible without God. I'll tell you that much. Um, I think from the beginning, from the get-go, God has never let go of my hand through every single trial. Um Manny's helped me through everything. So I can probably say that now. I feel like through the past five years, I was trying to figure out figure that out, but I know that God was holding my hand through all of it. And then I also have to say my mom. You know, my mom is a big support to me. And if she um didn't raise us the way that she did, which is to have a heart of God, um, I don't think I would have got through it. Wow. I don't know if I'd be here anymore.

SPEAKER_00 4:00

So you folks attend uh word of life. Traditionally, dad and mom. Dad was a praise and worship leader there, minister and mom. And now your sister Kamalele, Kamalay, is a word of life worship leader. But you folks really were rooted and founded and grounded there. Dylan, I just want to say something to you as your auntie and self-professed, self-proclaiming godmother. I I will keep saying it until everybody in the world believes it. But I am proud of you because um I see a strength and an anointing that's on your mom that I see similarly on you, where your mom sometimes she gets a little shy. And I say this in love, and I know we're on camera, don't worry, least. But um, she won't say that she's bold, but she has a strength to her. Remember that one Thanksgiving when I had us all stand in a circle, and it was just you and your friends and Kamalay and mom and me. And I said, let's say one thing that we're grateful for. And I think three of you, including your sister, you, and another one of your friends, said it's your mom's strength that sustained you that you were grateful for. I see the same anointing on you, Dylan, where you may not see that for yourself, but I see it. I was there the day after dad passed to glory, and uh the Lord had led me to come visit you and your family, as you probably recall.

unknown 5:20

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

I remember.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

And you were the first person to run to me when I walked into the house and you just held me. And of course, you're taller than me, but you um, even in that moment of utter darkness and confusion and the why and all that was going on, you extended great aloha. There was a strength of aloha about you. And then, of course, I asked you, where's mom? And you got kind of shy because you were raised right and not to shame your family. And she was upstairs, but you didn't want to say that she had been there for most of the day. And there were a number of people in the house, right? And they were outside as well. The men were outside, there were a lot of women downstairs, but mom was taking her time protecting her peace upstairs. And then, of course, Kamalay came running up to me. But the strength that you stood with the mantle of God's strength on you, I've seen increase since that day. You didn't see it in that moment, but I saw it, and I've seen it continue to progress where I see an the same man, and God says we go from glory to glory in his image. So thank you, Dylan, for your strength. I'm proud of you.

SPEAKER_03 6:29

Thank you. Thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Absolutely. Now, and that was because I asked you the question: how did you overcome that tragic suddenly? Now I'm sorry, but I'm gonna double down because you just walked through another valley of the shadow of death with Uncle Fiji. So, Uncle Fiji Vekoso is another great musician who, in fact, was a dear family friend. He was a brother to your father. Like, you know, in Hawaii, we talk about Hanai, which is adopted family, but he was fam that that's family. He was your Uncle Fiji, and he just passed away in an unexpected sort of suddenly. He's 55 years old. How are you walking through this valley of the shadow of death different this time? Now having gone through dad's passing five years ago, and now it's Uncle Fiji.

SPEAKER_03 7:16

Uncle Fiji's passing was definitely it was tough. Um there's so many levels to that. But for me, he is just somebody that I looked up to my whole life. Um, all the music that I have ever listened to, like between dad and him, those are like my two idols growing up, just listening to their music, and I try to model my music after theirs. And so any even me and dad, we'd always listen to his music all the time, and we'd always pick, like, oh, look at what Uncle Fiji did here. Oh, look at that riff, look at the music, you know. And so for me, I think the hardest thing for me is like not having him here anymore to influence our music industry, at least from a physical space. Right. Uncle Fiji was, I think, to me, the one that was holding it all together. He was the last of like that legendary musician, the OGs. And to me, it's like who, you know, there's nobody that's ever gonna take his place.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Who's the new guard? Who's gonna stand in that space, right? Yeah. I was talking to Ira Love uh earlier in a taping for this podcast, and she was even sharing how Fiji mentored her, and she was 18 years old when she first met him, or 16 rather, when she won brownbags to start him. Same kind of mentorship I see on you, but he also extended that to other great artists like Maoli, right? And then recently, in the past couple of years, I I noticed, Godson, that he really was doing the same mentorship with you and making sure that as you walk into the music industry, which really for both you and Uncle Feege is a ministry. It's an industry, I get that, but it's a ministry. How um what would you like to speak to that that he mentored you as well? Because now he went suddenly, right? But he was he was helping to watch for where you were gonna go, who you were working with, etc. Right? How was that for you?

Strength, Aloha, And Family Anointing

SPEAKER_03 9:09

I think for me, like a big thing, I'd say like the biggest thing that I've learned from from Uncle that I will take forever is um it's so much more than the music. More and and I'm gonna say this dad and uncle had the same thing. It's uh being a solid human being. Wow, like that to me is the most important thing before the music. Because if you're not a solid human being, you're not gonna make solid music. Wow. That's that's that's what I've learned from Uncle. And there's a certain post that people have posted after he passed that like there was one about this random person about um them being on a plane, and Uncle Fiji ended up sitting by them, and the person was just in shock that he treated them like a normal person. But Uncle never acted like he was here or he wasn't high makamaka, he he just treated everybody like human beings, and that was the same way as well. And so for me, like that is the thing that I want to carry forever. It doesn't matter how much followers you get, or you get blue check mark, or you have this much influence. Nah, I don't care. For me, be a solid human being, and that's what I'll take from Uncle Fiji forever.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

I love that that solid music comes out of a solid human being because that's the foundation of your projection, right?

SPEAKER_03 10:24

And the music that we make, I mean, it's not and this is another thing that he said. He said that he doesn't write the music, he gets it from up there.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Did he really? Yes. His name is.

SPEAKER_03 10:34

Actually, in my song that I so my first song that I released, forgive me, he he did a um, he did a verse in there, and when he I think he was talking to my mom about it, and basically he said, uh, Lisa, I never write the words, it came from up there.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 10:51

I said that he said that in a podcast as well, that like he you cannot take credit for the words, it comes from God.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Well, and with you saying that, that sheds so much light on the fact that, and I'm a huge Fiji fan, I always have been, but it it shows because Jesus says in the good book, we can judge a tree by its fruit, right? Bad fruit comes from a bad tree, but the good fruit comes from a good tree, and when you listen to Fiji's music, it's anointed.

SPEAKER_05 11:17

Oh yeah.

Saying Goodbye To Uncle Fiji

SPEAKER_00 11:18

And then I happen to know there's some new music coming out with Fiji, even with yourself. He collaborated on some stuff that's coming out. And when you listen to the lyrics, it's anointed. He speaks of God, it comes from God. I love that he had that source. And I was gonna ask you a question: Do you know where your dad and Uncle Fiji are now?

SPEAKER_03 11:38

I have no doubt in the world, like I know where they're at, and I've known it for dad, I've known it since the day he's passed. That if I'm never gonna there's no ways I'm not gonna see my dad again. Like I I I know that I will. Yes, and even when Uncle Fiji passed, like, there's just no ways. Yeah, there's no ways that there isn't a heaven.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

Come on now.

SPEAKER_03 12:01

There's just there's no ways.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

And that was one of the songs that you sing on the first, right? This release that you released faith, heaven in the sky is the H. Yeah. And they talk about heaven in the sky. Yeah, I believe strongly in the word of God says that that your dad and Fiji are up there making music and worshiping in heaven. In fact, um, one of the things that we talked about with your dad was rest in victory, right? And then your mom said, as she prayed more on that, the R I V, not R I P, rest in peace, it's RIV. And then it was rejoice in victory because he was a worship, worship was Kaulana's, he was it was his essence. It was what he sweated, it was what he lived. And I believe that Uncle Fiji is there too, next to him, next to on the right hand of Jesus, who's at the right hand of the Father in heaven. So thank you, Dylan, for knowing that and knowing it so solidly.

SPEAKER_03 12:52

I feel like there's like one more thing I want to add about Uncle Fiji.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

Please do.

SPEAKER_03 12:55

And I think it's something that I'm learning in my music now as I'm, you know, I'm recording an album that has a lot of covers, but I'm also going into an original album where it's gonna be all originals. And the music that I'm writing, to me, I'm I'm connecting this to Uncle Fiji because I've learned it through listening to his music. That the music that we write, I've realized that in life, the ups and downs that we go through, we cannot skip any of it. Because as artists, it is our job to go through it, and is it our it is our job to process it, and it is our job to turn that into music. And I think that that's when you listen to Uncle Fiji's music, like that's what that is. You think about all the songs that he sang, Joanna, Sweet Darling, Um, Lonely Days, these are all songs that he's had to go through pain to write.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:44

If you really listen to the words, it's pain.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 13:46

Some of it's happiness, some of it is confusion, some of it there's a lot of different emotions that he's had to process, but that that downs and those ups was what made the music.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 13:57

And so I realized as I'm starting to write my own music, what price that he's had to pay to be able to write the songs that we listen to.

SPEAKER_00 14:06

That's so good. And when I saw, I saw one post, and there were so many posts that came out, right, on IG and TikTok, etc., about when Uncle Fiji passed to glory. But one that really struck me is exactly what you're saying, Dylan, that it said he was talking and he said um he had trauma as a child, as a young person. But at first he screamed and then he learned to sing. And the singing w blessed more, right? It went out. It was much more popular to sing than to scream. But that's where I believe so many different island groups, right? He's from Fiji. I I come from Tonga. We grew up listening to Bob Marley, and then Fiji was so big for us. And of course, here in Hawaii and the continent, all around the world, because he turned that pain, it was redeemed into glory. Yeah, like you're saying, to filter and to process it as a musician and as an artist and to ground it back to God. That's beautiful. Thank you for learning that, Dylan. What is one of the songs you sang with Uncle on Faith? And that can you talk about what's coming up in the legacy project? Was he a part of that too?

SPEAKER_03 15:11

Yes. So um on the Faith EP, he did the song called Forgive Me. Um, actually, I have three angels on that song. Um, Uncle Fiji's on it, Dad was on it, and Uncle Lango Savia. So all of them, Uncle Lango's the one that produced the music, Dad did the harmonies, and Uncle Fiji did his verse. So that song's really special to me. And then there's another song that's coming up on my new album, The Legacy Project. Uh, it's a song called With This Ring. And my dad actually is the one that recorded it a while back on the Coconut Island album, but Uncle Fiji is the one that wrote it. So before Uncle Fiji passed, I actually talked to him and he said that he wrote that song for my mom and dad so I could do whatever I wanted to do with it. And so we ended up re-recording it. Wow. And um, I'm really excited for that song. One, uh, because the connection with Uncle Fiji and the connection with dad as well. Um, but two, a big mission in my life now is to show the world what real love is supposed to be like. And that song talks about with this ring, it's talking about marriage, it's about you know true love. And to me, um, that's just something that's really important to me. So I'm excited for people to hear this song and hear what Uncle Fiji has written. Um, and it hopefully it leads people back to dad's version as well, and but also hearing um the new version of it. There's there's a lot of story to it, and I'm hoping to talk more about it later.

SPEAKER_00 16:34

That's good, and I know um I well I don't I can't say I know that dad would love that, but I I totally would guess that he loves that you're taking something that he did and then starting it back up for the new generation because we do need to touch base on what real love is, and what with this ring is I'm gonna sanctify it before God and all humans that I love you so much, I'm gonna put a ring on it.

SPEAKER_03 17:00

Well, love is not a feeling to me, it's a choice. It's good, and to me, I feel like a lot of people didn't grow up with that. And I'm I'm blessed to have had a mom and dad that has shown me that. I didn't know that not everybody grew up with that. Yes, and so for me, because God has blessed me with that, I want to make sure I bless other people with that in any way that I can, whether it's through music or it's just one-on-one talking story, or whether it's singing on a stage, I don't know, right? Figuring out how I can show that more into the world.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

And so much goodness to that, Godson, because I know dad and I know mom, and you know, like you're saying, you were blessed with something that not a lot of kids in this generation get, and that was a whole family, as in a whole marriage family, right? A traditional marriage family of a mom and a dad, a man and a woman, and fighting for their marriage, yeah, fighting for each other, not with each other. And it wasn't, and they were the first to share and be very um transparent, which was it wasn't the perfect marriage, but they serve a perfect God and they always fought forward, like towards the goal of staying together.

Mentorship, Character, And Music With Purpose

SPEAKER_03 18:04

I think that's something I'm I'm starting to realize more and more. I'm thankful that my mom and dad have made that decision because there's many times where they could have gave up. And for me, it poured into my life. And now, for me, you know, I've been in situations that you know I I'm still learning about that as well. But for me, I now know the truth that it does not work without God. Yes, like and with this ring, that song embodies that, like it talks about God in the song, and on top of that, it it just it talks about like choosing that person no matter what the situation is. That's what love is to me. And I want to push that message out into the world.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

So good. And I had a friend along the lines of what you just said, his name is Dave, and he was sharing that he watched his parents, he's he's my age, so he's older than you, but he said he watched his parents fight hard to stay married, and it was difficult sometimes, almost impossible, but because they both were proclaiming Christians and held to Jesus, they did stay married. And he goes, and because they stayed married, he and his brothers were able to see and to then minister not just to their wives, but he said now they have their own children, and he was able to foster and adopt another girl because of that foundation that they could then build a next level on. It was easier because their parents paid a price. Thank you for doing that. Wow, so much goodness. Is there a Bible verse that you you cling to? I know dad had Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, right? But do you have a verse, Dylan, that you also cling to, or is it the same verse?

SPEAKER_03 19:37

Um, I'd definitely say that one, but um, my brother's one in high school, he had it on a uh on a shirt for his his senior night, and it was uh Luke 137. What is it? I think it's uh with God all things is possible. Yes, and for me, that's been something I've always thought about. Like I know without a shadow of a doubt, I don't have the plan for everything, but I know that God can make anything happen. And through recent um times in my life in the past couple of years, I've realized that I I know that, and not everybody has that same um certain confidence, and I realize that I have to protect that.

SPEAKER_00 20:13

It's good, yeah, and it's not just a confidence, but I've recalled it a godfidence, like it's a god confidence because we are not certain of ourselves. I've never felt really sure about things I do. When I watch you, Dylan, and maybe when people are watching right now in Aloha Alive, they see, oh, he's this tall, good looking, and he's a talented musician. They see an after photo, but they don't see, or maybe the tip of the mauna, right? But there's a huge mauna, an iceberg underneath that water line that you don't see the process and the pain and the struggling and the progressing and the moving forward that you choose, Dylan. And that we might be standing there. I heard a great quote that says, courage is fear that has said its prayers. And I see in you, like I said, that boldness, but it's courage is another word for it, where you stand up even in spaces you may not know yet, like going to record, right? Recording studio, writing music. This didn't just come to you naturally. Yes, you're a second generation musician, but I think we're all learning along the way. So thank you for saying it that humbly. Um, Dad's vision is now Pakele Entertainment. What is that specifically? And I did reference it earlier, but for people who don't know, what is Pakele Entertainment?

SPEAKER_03 21:31

So Pakele Entertainment is our family company. Actually, it started as Pokele Mele as a family band with me, dad, and my sister, uh Kamala. And um, you know, when dad passed away, I was like, Chucks, what do we do now? And um, mom and dad have been talking about doing something like this for a while, so it shifted in from Pokele Mele to Pokele Entertainment. Wow. And Pokele Entertainment to me is something that's still growing the concept of it, but I'd say it could be so many. Different things. I think it's a platform, one to funnel my music, like Dylan Po Kele. Yeah. But then it's also a funnel for something else we want to do, which is KP Studios, where we want to be able to help people record their projects. I want to be able to help people with their marketing for their music. Because music is more than just the music. That's half the battle. The other half is marketing. Yes. And then like maybe even like photo shoots, music, music videos, all the content stuff. KP Studios is one facet of it. We also throw concerts. We do this thing called the Kalana Bash, which my dad's name is Kalana, so Kalana Bash. Um, and we've done it for the past three years in Hilo. And so this year, uh 2026, coming year, this coming year, um, it we're gonna expand it island wide.

SPEAKER_05 22:44

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:45

So we're gonna go Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and Big Island again.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 22:50

So there's Pokela Entertainment has its hands in a bunch of different things, and I think 2026 is gonna be a year where it starts to break expand more and work out more.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Yeah, yes so bless. I love it, Dylan, because I know um, because of course I'm a big island girl, so we love that you started in Moku Okea Vehilo. But you know what? Kona side needs too, right? Kauai, I have Ohana, you have Ohana on all islands, Kauai, Maui, etc. saying, Hey, sister islands, we we need some too.

SPEAKER_03 23:20

Yeah, the goes to reach all of Hawaii, not just one island, not just two. Hey, all of Polynesia if we can. Yes, so that'll be the goal.

SPEAKER_00 23:27

I love it. And um, okay, good. So that's coming out with Pakele Entertainment, and you have new music. You've been referencing the Legacy Project. You're working with other artists. Can you um drop some names? I know we had we talked about Uncle Fiji.

SPEAKER_03 23:42

Uh, I'll talk about the Legacy Project. There's actually a lot of cool collaborations on there. So there's gonna be um Ehukay, which is the one what's actually technically gonna be the Ehukai kits. Oh so a lot of the people there's gonna be a song we're doing that has a bunch of the kids from the band. Oh we're also gonna do a Manawa Company song with all the Manawa Company kids. Oh, there's I'm not gonna give the song titles yet, but it's gonna come out in December, I think. So um that one, I did one with Jordan T that's gonna be on here. Um, who else we got? We have Sudden Rush is gonna be on this project. Yeah, you uh there is some that is still in the works. We're still working on it. I had Johnny Sweet, it was on Harmonies for With This Ring.

SPEAKER_00 24:24

Oh hey!

SPEAKER_03 24:25

Oh hey, yes, uh Johnny. I'm trying to think off the top of my head. Uh, we also have Pacific Blue, which is an old school band that my dad really loves. Uncle Kavey them, Colika Dem. And um there's there's a bunch of collaborations that I'm working with on the side as well, um, besides the Legacy Project. I'm working on maybe like maybe 20 different songs right now. There's a lot of collaborations that's been in the mix, but God's just been really good on that.

SPEAKER_00 24:53

And everybody loves a good collab, right? Like we just love hearing it like all the time.

SPEAKER_03 24:56

It's a generation of collabing, that's how it goes. And then God's been definitely connecting every single one of those, and all of them for me. This might be a weird terminology, but for me, I I like I think about it this way. It you gotta be careful with who you do songs with because to me, it's like when you do songs with this person, it's almost like you're making a baby with them, and you're connected to this person for life. So be careful who you make songs with because you have to make sure that they align with your goals and that you know they're representing you as much as you're representing them.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 25:29

And so that's something I'm learning as I'm going. And every time I uh collaborate with somebody, I try to, you know, spend time with them first before we just start making music. Right. You know, because then yeah, does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00 25:40

It makes a lot of sense, and I know uh we have a lot of Christian audience watching, and they might say, Oh my gosh, he just said making a baby, and so guess what? You know what? We're gonna say it in a true way, and I really think you're right, and you hit it on the head because you are bringing your mind, body, soul, and strength, right? So the Bible says, Love the Lord your God with your whole mind, body, soul, and strength. When you make a song, you do come into a collaboration or a union with another artist. And if you don't pick the right person because you're gonna make the song, it's gonna be out there. And now you have like if you get together with somebody based on, let's say, a one-night stand and you just jump into it, and then you have a baby. Now you're co-parenting for the rest of that baby's life, and you are tied and bonded to that person.

SPEAKER_03 26:26

And even if you choose to make better decisions, if that person doesn't, you're you're tied to them regardless if you like it or not. Right. And we've seen time and time again of this situation happening.

Heaven, Hope, And Anointed Songs

SPEAKER_00 26:38

So it's not like you have a baby mama running around out there, you got a song mama running around out there, or she has a song daddy. And so, just in a serious note, I love hearing that you're stewarding your spirit man well, Dylan, and that you're not just quote unquote spilling seed or spilling song anywhere because you are held accountable for every word that comes out of your mouth, and that's also for every action that you're taking. This is a young Hawaiian man who is striving and attempting and and straining himself to be pono, to be accountable to the principles he finds in the Bible. I was just talking to Auntie Leolani Dilima and Uncle Kelly Boy from Kapena. They love you. And they were speaking, uh Johnny Sweet was hosting something at his church and talking about um, I think the word was your mom was talking about it too. It's uh protecting the platform, so to speak, and it's about being purposeful. And when you're an artist and they had Kalina Ku and Kala'ai also speaking, and she said, Oh, when you walk in the bathroom and you see people doing cocaine, doing lines, yeah, you know we are all seeing this when we're at the clubs or the venues and we're performing. What do you do in that moment? Do you join in and become like the world, or are we really going to be set apart as worshippers unto God? So I appreciate that you're very real in talking about collaborating because it's the real and it's the business. And that's where Uncle Fiji really tried to mentor people like Iraq, Maoli, yourself in the last lap of his life, because it's guarding what has sacredly been appointed to you as a God-given gift. Does that make sense? Yes. So thank you, Dylan, for saying that and for guarding what you're doing, but you're also shining your light, you're sharing space with people, right? And it's allowing them to see you show up and you drink water. That's your drink. That's your drink of choice. Shaken, not stirred, extra ice, but it's water. It's Wayakia water. Oh, yeah. We got it in. There he is. He's gonna take a sippy sip of the good water Wayakia. Is it Big Island Water, by the way? Oh, yeah. And I have some in my mug, which I got from my sis Lise, who has a mug collection. She's got the museum of mugs.

SPEAKER_03 28:58

Shout out Manuhi Li right there.

SPEAKER_00 29:01

Thank you, Lise, and Manuhi Alii. But Waya Kia Water, Big Island Water, and they're your sponsor. But um, that's different. You're not like your average guy who's at the clubs, a young up-and-coming artist. You we've been to the Nahoku Awards with you, nominated future winner. I'm just gonna claim it, name it, claim it, prophesy it, get it in there. Yes, uh. Um, but it's being different because God has called you to be different, set apart, holy. You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Dylan. And where does that factor in from it's not a separation of church and state or church and platform or pulpit or you know, being on stage. It's how do you bring those together? Because you are you're a Christian man living there. Now, you were talking about with this ring. Are you single? Yes. Oh, you know, I was asking it, ladies, because I know some people watching this and they're like, ask him the question, Don O'Brien. I was gonna not ask you because you're my godson, and I try to shield him. I had my eye on a girl for a while. I was I was kind of trying to like smooth in there, but she just got engaged to somebody else. Fine. This this woman of God was fine.

SPEAKER_03 30:15

This is this is probably the most important topic to me. Um, for me, I feel like just a little message I want to say to the youngsters out there um don't rush it. Like don't chase that person. Um, let God bring that person to you. Wow. It's something that I learned that um for the past maybe ten years of my life I've been in and out of some relationships. And for me, what I've realized is in every single one of those relationships, I chase that person instead of letting God bring the person to me. And instead of like talking about all kinds of things, what I've realized is that a relationship doesn't work unless you guys po you guys both you guys both put God at the center. Wow. That is something that I just I realize that it's super important. Yes. And so for you youngsters out there, if you are um maybe younger than like 25, don't do it. Just wait till you're like in your you know late 20s, and then maybe you'll be a little bit more ready for it. But trust me, I actually told the kids I was at One Uli Uli middle school yesterday, and a lot of them were talking story, and I said, Hey, none of you, don't date. You guys are not ready. Promise. Don't date in high school, don't date in college, don't even date till after you get out of college.

SPEAKER_00 31:31

Wow. You laid it down.

SPEAKER_02 31:33

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:33

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 31:35

They have no idea, right?

SPEAKER_00 31:37

But it's true. You look back, I look back, and you're a lot younger than I am. He's 28, he's six feet. Okay, I'm giving your stats, right? Um, it's like fantasy football with our star Dylan. But I'm 55. There he is. He's a fantasy football guy as well. Just turning all the factoids for you, ladies. Yes. Okay, we'll forgive you for that, Raiders. Um, but uh 55 now, and I realize that so much of what you just said is so true. But sitting there as a middle schooler, I probably would have spit like out laughing.

SPEAKER_03 32:08

He probably did not agree with me, but at least you know they'll be able to be like, Oh, Uncle Dylan said that about 10 years ago. Hmm, I should have listened to him.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

There's truth, it's true. And I even science shows that a man's brain, and go look it up, a man, men, your brains don't fully develop until a certain age, and you're ready to marry at about age 30. So how old are you again?

SPEAKER_03 32:29

27.

SPEAKER_00 32:30

27, he's turning 28 soon. I know we might be airing this around your birthday. And um, and he's single, and you're gonna have to deal with his mama, but then you got the tongue and bouncer auntie right there next. And then you have the sisters to deal with. But just putting it out there that you're making better choices, and it wasn't always perfect, but we learn through hard experience, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:49

Just like we were talking about the music. I mean, for me, that's one realm that I've wrote written a lot of music about. So if I didn't go through the hardships, I wouldn't be able to share the message that I want to share now. So good, Dylan. I had to go through the valley to be able to share the message about the valley, absolutely so that other people can stay out of it.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

Yes. Yeah. But now he's ready. I'm his auntie Dawn. You can call me first. But now I really do think so. And Dylan, I'm not making false hope or false promises like, oh, she's coming in this next season. But um, I feel like you did mature a lot through things. We were always hopeful through each of the relationships you were in. But thank you for being transparent about that topic because I know it can be hard, but I'm also glad you spoke life to our younger kids on that.

SPEAKER_03 33:33

Oh, yeah. It's probably one of the most important things. We've had people literally take their lives because of things like that. So for me, I just I want people to know it's not worth it. Let God bring that woman that's gonna protect your heart, or woman or man for the women, right? The men. That's right. Man, the women, right? Yes. Let let God bring that person. That's it. Because then they'll be able to protect your heart the right way.

SPEAKER_00 33:54

Yeah, yeah. And it's a completion of God's will for you. I love that. Um, Dylan, where can we hear your music?

SPEAKER_03 34:01

Um, you guys can check it out on Apple Music, Spotify, I have some music videos on YouTube, um, and then we have a bunch more coming out. Instagram is kind of where I post my updates.

SPEAKER_00 34:11

You do really well at that, by the way.

SPEAKER_03 34:13

Yeah, I'm working on it more. There's a lot of people that are really good at reels and stuff. For me, I I gotta get better at it, more consistent. Sometimes I'm just like in the moment, that's why.

SPEAKER_00 34:22

Yeah, you're very present, you're very mindful. But it's hard to be both, right? Yeah, to be editor and then also I try to be like read the room.

SPEAKER_03 34:30

Like if it means if the room is like not calling for a camera, put it down. But if it's like, hmm, people should see this. If it's for you, then I'll put it down. If it's for God, okay.

SPEAKER_00 34:42

So good. Yeah. But you do so well at it, sweetie. And this is just me as an auntie speaking to you and mom. It was a mom compliment. I just saw her Sunday, we were at the pool, and then I she goes, Oh yeah, I keep trying to ask Dylan where we post the link for the podcast. I gotta ask Dylan, and so that's she thinks so highly of you, and so do I. I was like, No, just let it go. It's okay. We don't need to put up the link. And but speaking about that, when you said read the room, you and I represent choose aloha in the schools.

SPEAKER_05 35:09

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:09

Dylan goes with me as an aloha ambassador, and of course, your dad sang with Uncle Um Danny Kennedy and the Manao Company A-L-O-H-A, a little aloha. You and I go into the schools, the schools love you. La uh uh of you. What's your favorite part about being a choose aloha ambassador in schools? And these are elementaries, like you said, Hono Uli Uli Middle School. We've even gone into high schools, we've gone to Maui around the islands. What's your favorite part or memory from doing choose aloha?

SPEAKER_03 35:40

I think for me, it's um engaging with the kids and like really just seeing them happy. Like for 30 minutes of their day, they're just joyful. And I've worked out of school for a little bit at Ona Uli Middle School, and I've realized you know, some of the kids have different lives when they go home. Yeah. And it's not all not every kid has the same upbringing or has the same situation. Right. And so for me, for 30 minutes, it's our responsibility to make sure that they feel aloha because maybe they might not feel it for the rest of the day. Yeah. And so for me, seeing them smile, it it it definitely was a life-changing experience for me working with Chuzaloa because I was able to experience like having that Kulyana to make sure that those kids smile.

SPEAKER_00 36:23

That's good.

SPEAKER_03 36:23

And putting putting just putting joy and aloha into their hearts.

SPEAKER_00 36:26

Yes. And it is a pure aloha. 30 minutes is so fast, and that's boarding.

SPEAKER_03 36:31

Hey, 30 minutes is it seems fast, but I'll tell you this, it's long as well. 30 minutes is a long time to entertain a yes, it is. And I give you all the flowers for that. You're so kind.

SPEAKER_00 36:43

Thank you. But you know what my favorite memory is when we go out together, Dylan, and and you're my one of the go-to guys, along with Uncle Kaleo Pilanka and Uncle Pee-Pee Primetime, Pee PP Resentis, what's up, boys? Yes, sir. Is um when you sing your your dad in Manao Company song A-L-O-H-A, which Danny Kennedy wrote, Love you, brother Danny and Siobhan. Um, they're ohana to you as well. Seeing the kids doing the motions, A-L-O-H-A, and then we kind of like on the cuff, impromptu, invented a hula to go with it. You're singing, and you see this whole gym or whatever space we're in, and hundreds of kids smiling and making the motions and singing the song.

SPEAKER_03 37:29

I think what's crazy about it is I actually grew up like when I was in elementary and we were doing that, and to be like 27 now, I mean 10 plus years later, and it's still going. Yes. I think I just want to shout out to Uncle Danny. Like, that is you wrote such a powerful song that has literally went from generation to generation.

SPEAKER_01 37:47

Yes.

“Forgive Me” And Legacy Collaborations

SPEAKER_03 37:48

And to me, that's that's awesome. There's only a handful of songs that make it that far, and you wrote a song like that. So love you, Uncle Danny, for writing such an awesome song.

SPEAKER_00 37:57

Amen, brother Danny. Like, serious. And my my if I'm correct, please correct me if I'm not correct, is that it was a last song they put on the album at that time.

SPEAKER_03 38:08

I'm not sure the story of that. Yeah, that that might be right. I have no idea.

SPEAKER_00 38:11

And it was just because they needed an X number amount of songs on the album to make it an album, like let's say 12 or 13, and this was the 13th song, they just kind of put it on there, and so it was written quickly by Danny. And so I'm gonna I'm gonna go ask Danny again because I swear I heard them tell that backstory to the song.

SPEAKER_03 38:27

Could be. Oh, yeah, I would love to know as well. Right.

SPEAKER_00 38:30

And then it ended up being the biggest hit off the album. Oh, yeah. And like you said, it's a legacy song that's gone through generations. Yeah. I knew one teacher at Nanakouli High School, and she moved away from uh Eva Beach area. She's from there originally. She went up to the mainland for a while, the continent, Ekalamai, the continent, and she would listen to that song every day to keep her root strong. She just needed a touch of the islands, and it was the A-L-O-H-A, which also teaches what Aloha is in a beautiful way. So thank you for being Aloha Ambassador. Of course. DJ Dylan. I learned not to call him Uncle Dylan. Oh, yeah, please don't. Too young. Yeah, yeah. I'm Auntie Donald.

SPEAKER_02 39:09

Stay young as much as I can. Leave the uncle out as much as can.

SPEAKER_00 39:14

Well, you're still young. You're out there playing basketball, you're playing celebrity football. The other side.

SPEAKER_03 39:19

My knees start for give out everything on football. I gotta use knee brace pretty soon.

SPEAKER_00 39:23

Ooh, oohs, come on, come on. You still young. Get it, get it. Um, I'm gonna ask you a last question. Two questions that go together. We do do it every podcast, and it's we land on the alohas. Number one, what is aloha to you? And that could be a memory, a story, it could be a flavor, it could be um a scent or a lay. What is aloha to you?

SPEAKER_03 39:51

Aloha to me. This is a deep question. It's something that I'm actually figuring out now, that's why. Aloha. I don't know if this is a correct response to this, but my response to it would be um it's my purpose. And what I mean by that is how I said earlier, like I feel like part of my kuleana is to share love around the world. But when I think about the word aloha, I think there's a huge kuleana to that word. And there's so many different layers and levels to it. It's not just love, even though it means different words and different meanings to me. I mean, I can't even I could write a whole paragraph, I mean a whole essay about it. And for me, it's my purpose, it's something that I want to live by, I want to embody in every single day of my life into my everything that I do. Um when I wake up and when I go to sleep, I want to make sure that everything I did was with Allah. And so to me, um, I didn't always have that. I think my dad and my mom have kind of showed me what that was growing up. And when dad passed away, I think there was a void in my life for a few years. Yeah. From 2020, 21, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, even into 2025. Sure. In 2025, I finally realized what my calling is. Wow. And my calling is to share love around the world. Yeah. And share aloha throughout the world.

SPEAKER_01 41:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 41:13

Um, in any way possible. I don't care if it's I gotta be here or here, wherever it is, do that. That is your goal. Yeah. And that is what I'll do to the day that I die.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

Wow, that's so huge and wonderful. But I like the word, I'm gonna key in on this purpose. It's your life purpose. You we were sharing, and I I won't say the name, but you're even home uh hosting at your home in Hawaiian homesteads, Kapole, uh, somebody from continent. Okay, who is it?

SPEAKER_03 41:43

It's my brother Oliver Steele. Yeah, you know, if you guys have watched uh American Idol, um, I'm Tangi. Uh he was one of the good friends on the show of IM Tangi. And uh me and him actually got really close after the show, and he actually stayed at our house the last time he was here. Wow, and uh he's actually here visiting again, and we're just spending time spending the week at my house.

SPEAKER_00 42:03

So and that's huge to host in your own home. You don't even have a bedroom, you're hosting.

SPEAKER_03 42:08

We get two couches. We're gonna give him the authentic experience, okay? You sleep that couch, I sleep this couch.

SPEAKER_00 42:16

Well, your dad keeps from Kilkaha, and it was blue blue tarps and blue tents up all the time down by the ocean. But um, you were sharing how Oliver comes to the house. He forgot to hammo his shoes, he forgot to take off the shoes. You kind of had to school him on that. Kind of forgot to um wait till everybody's order lands on the table before he started eating. So, my point in bringing it up is not to shame Oliver, love you much aloha, but you're teaching aloha culture. Yeah, you're teaching aloha spirit. That's part of your purpose. And your dad, I remember, and I talked about it this with Lise. His last IG post was correcting people about trashing the Aina. Remember that?

SPEAKER_03 42:54

Yes, I remember. I can never forget that. It was literally his last post. It was on Hungry Hunger Hawaii. Yes, that was his last post.

SPEAKER_00 43:03

And I think Lise told him, take it down. He's like, no, no, it had to stay up. But that was part of what I loved about your dad, and I see it a lot in you, Dylan. Even when I came to the house for Thanksgiving, the last Thanksgiving with dad was that he and I were sitting across the table just like we are now, both eating turkey, and he was telling me stories of Hilo. But at the same time, he kept looking at the door. He's like, door, close the door. Door, boy, close the door. Dylan. Dylan flies. He hated flies.

SPEAKER_03 43:31

It was pyramid. I remember it's engaging.

SPEAKER_00 43:35

So aloha is not just this welcome mat of niceness, and we're always gonna have this Pollyanna picture plastic perfect smile slapped on our faces with our plastic hula skirts. Aloha is a fierce force of I love you and I'm gonna tell you things because I love you. Bible says the Lord disciplines us because he loves us. So because you aloha are Oliver, you're telling him, hey brah, when you come to the house, you gotta take off those shoes. Uh when we go out to eat, etc. But he also got a brand new curly koa, right? He got the whole.

SPEAKER_03 44:12

So for me, it I mean, can it be an uncomfortable conversation? Heck yeah, it can be. Um, but for me, if I don't say something, then that means I don't love you. And if I know say something and I show that, then I'm not living my purpose.

SPEAKER_00 44:27

So I I have to.

Real Love, Marriage, And Choosing Daily

SPEAKER_03 44:29

And for me, you can still have a hard conversation with aloha. Yes. And if the person chooses to get chooses to get offended from it, which Oliver doesn't, he's awesome. He's an awesome human being. Um if they choose that, then they're not living with Allah. Yeah. Then therefore you're not aligned with that person. So why do I have that person in my life? And that I choose to have Oliver in my life because I know he has aloha in his heart.

SPEAKER_01 44:51

That's so good.

SPEAKER_03 44:52

Maybe he's not from here, but I know he has it in his heart. He has aloha in his heart.

SPEAKER_01 44:55

That's so good.

SPEAKER_03 44:56

And I know people that have been raised here their whole life and nobody aloha like that. So that's why I love Oliver. He's somebody that has aloha in his heart and is willing to learn from me as I'm willing to learn from him.

SPEAKER_00 45:08

That's beautiful. And I and of course, we're we kind of just brought up Oliver as one example of the bigger principle of choosing aloha with someone and sharing space because you're in a relationship with this person. That means a lot. Yeah. And that, like you said, if you if we have a spirit of offense and you're not in alignment, I'm not in alignment, it doesn't work, then there's lots of other places on earth and lots of other people. I love that you do that because I saw that in dad a lot, and he loved people fiercely, but he also brought correction, right? And he would like he got into Jay Nakasone's face a lot before she became the woman of God that she is today. She didn't get saved and find salvation in Jesus Christ till after his first celebration of life, the first funeral.

SPEAKER_03 45:53

Well, it was all those years of having those conversations, it was hard conversations. And I remember dad telling me and Auntie Jay sharing with me after, you know, like if he didn't have all those conversations, would she have given her life to the Lord?

SPEAKER_01 46:06

Yes. I don't know. Correct.

SPEAKER_03 46:08

Maybe, maybe not. Right. And so from dad doing that from generation to generation, his actions poured into me. And now I want to do that for the people that God places in my life.

SPEAKER_00 46:20

And I was just gonna say that you nailed it, sweetie, is I saw it in dad and I see that anointing in you. So you bear mom's anointing of strength and boldness when you don't think you do, but you also bear dad's strength and anointing of that aloha thank you. Both the fierce love as well as you know, the compassionate, softer love. Thank you to mom and dad and God.

SPEAKER_03 46:41

They're the ones that embody that proud of you.

SPEAKER_00 46:45

Uh I said the last question was what is aloha to you? The second part of that is who is your aloha hero? Somebody who embodies pure, true aloha, either past or present. They can be living or um gone.

SPEAKER_03 47:00

I mean, I definitely have to put my dad there. Um he's probably the biggest example of aloha I've ever seen in my life. I'm I'm gonna stick with that with dad. I think um him being absent in my life now. I know he's here spiritually, I know he's a still apart in my life. But physically having that absence of of dad not being here has showed me how much aloha he really had. Because it to me the best way I put it is um the world felt like there was such a light, and when he passed it felt like it was darkness. And that's how much he lit up the room. Like I I didn't I've never felt darkness in my life until he passed because he always made sure that there was the light was burning in the room. And so for me, um I'd say that is the biggest example of Allah I have in my life.

unknown 47:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:58

And as we as you said that, thank you, Dylan. I just looked down at this light that um we made. I think it was for Kamalay's graduation. Mom had this made, and it kind of looks like you know, we have the lantern festival here at Alamoana, and they send out the lanterns, but I get to keep this one and it has dad's guitar that you now use. Can you um sing us a song as we go out? Would that be okay? Is that a good thing? Let's do it. Because here's the guitar, but our boy is gonna grab the Manao Company Pakele Ukulele and give us a little small kind samps sample.

SPEAKER_03 48:37

I think I'm gonna play an original song. Let's move the mic just a little bit. This is a song that I released back in um February 14th. This was uh Valentine's Day. It's a song called Love With Me. It's normally in reggae, but we'll make it a little not reggae. RB ish, I guess. Goes a little something like this. We'll just sing part of it. Or the whole song. Nah, we'll sing part of it, we'll sing part of it. Yeah, you song called Love With Me. Rom chord.

SPEAKER_04 49:17

If you say you love me, then you love me. Give me everything, everything you need for me can overwhelm us. In time you know, if we're meant to be meant to be And I don't wanna I don't wanna wait a second mor if you already know I need you to tell me I need love And if it's love that you both have enough But I give you a hell and if it's love that you me Oh Should I just my get on this if you can share this love in me can share this love in me can share this Lola Regina Mizer there, sound called love with me now, brown cow and my wow law la my godson, and yes, he's single, Dylan Pakele.

SPEAKER_00 51:18

You can find him on IG, which is Instagram at Dylan Pakele. Yes, we're gonna have that up on the screen. You can also find uh, I think you have uh usually post where you're gonna play, right? Oh yeah a calendar of where he's 2026.

SPEAKER_03 51:32

We're gonna do more shows. Definitely, hopefully tour is my next year. That'll be dope.

SPEAKER_00 51:36

Wow. So the contact is just on IG right now, or do you guys have a website?

SPEAKER_03 51:40

I'd say mainly IG, just at my Instagram at Dylan Pakele.

SPEAKER_00 51:44

Super updated, always fresh with that, and he's great at posting. Dylan Pakele, Pakele Entertainment, formerly of Pakele Mele with his dad, Kaulana Pakele, and we devote the show to my brother. By the way, your mom chose the same Aloha hero that you did. It was her Kaulana Pakele. So love to my brother, and that is Aloha. Hope you catch the A L O H E.

SPEAKER_04 52:07

A little aloha in a day.

SPEAKER_00 52:10

Dylan Pakele, and we're out. All right. God bless. Yeah you're not gonna get it.