Polynesian & Hawaiian Bands

Is an accomplished instrumentalist and vocalist, and has been the innovative force behind MANGO since 1998, incorporating a touch of classical music and jazz standards to Mango's repetoire, and highlighting Carl Ray's inimitable talent on the ukulele in new and unique settings. She has been playing the violin and piano since she was very young, and the music she plays is as diverse as her talents. Joanie plays the keyboards, bass, electric and acoustic violin, and sings in MANGO. Joanie has performed as concert mistress with the Mau'i Symphony Orchestra and the Big Island's premier string trio, the Magic Strings, as well as on her sizzling white five string electric violin all over the Hawai'ian islands. She has performed with many music groups such as Island Rhapsody, Hawai`ians Unlimited, Espresso and the Dream Sisters, and the Kona Chamber Orchestra on the Big Island, Kaua`i, Lana`i's Manele Bay Hotel, and Mau`i,. She has had the privilege of backing up such great entertainers as Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick, Kekuhi Kanahele, Keali'i Reichel, and Eugene Fodor.

In January 1995 she founded the Performing Arts and Cultural Exchange Studios (PACES) in Kealakekua, where she was the artistic director for five years. After forming a "Nahenahe Mele" trio with Natie Adarme and Ulu Visser in 1996, she and Natie went on to create an all-woman rock and roll group with three other women – "Tzunami!" rocked the Big Island.

Joanie is currently researching the role that the violin played in Hawai`ian music before the introduction of the steel guitar and electricity. Charles E. King and Sam Lia are two prolific Hawai`ian songwriters who featured the violin prominently in their music., and until the 1930's, the violin was the lead instrument in Hawai`ian music

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Destination Weddings Santa Barbara CA
Guitar Players Santa Barbara CA
Violin Players Santa Barbara CA

Among other cities, Mango and Lilikoi Productions may serve the following areas: Santa Barbara, Southern California, San Luis Obispo, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Goleta, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Santa Maria, Naval Base Ventura County, Pismo Beach, Port Hueneme, Camarillo, Kailua Kona, Lompoc, San Buenaventura, Westlake Village, Atascadero, Arroyo Grande, Carpinteria, Fillmore, Grover Beach, Halcyon, Hilo, Los Osos, Montecito, Moorpark, Morro Bay, Newbury Park, Ojai, Orcutt