“Brittni Paiva Most Promising Hoku winner has a talent for doing it all.”
 --Jon Woodhouse, Maui News

“…her debut release shows a musical maturity that defies her youth.”
--Keola Donaghy, NahenaheNet  
 

Biographical Information

Brittni Paiva is quickly establishing herself throughout the islands as Hawaii’s musical child prodigy. Affectionately referred to as the ukulele darling and slack key super girl for her masterful command of the instruments, at the ripe age of 16, this youngster is holding her own with the best of them. On June 3rd, the sweet humble teen walked away with the 2005 Na Hoku Hanohano Music Award for Most Promising Artist of the Year for her debut recording, Brittni X 3.

This Na Hoku award-winning virtuoso has a list of attributes under her belt, including: first place at the 2002 Fearless Hawaiian Jumping Flea Ukulele Competition, the 2004 Lehua Jaycees Ukulele Contest and the 2004 Hamakua Music Festival competition where she was awarded a $1,500 scholarship prize. Brittni attributes her musical talent to her family and the diversity of her sound to both her unique background and influence from great Hawaiian legends.

The Hilo native, born September 28, 1988, has a diverse ethnic background of Portuguese, Danish, Japanese and Hawaiian. Brittni is a home-schooled student who began her musical training at age four studying classical piano under the Suzuki method. At 11, her Hawaiian grandfather introduced her to the ukulele, and it was love at first touch. Brittni immediately connected with the traditional Hawaiian string instrument that would become the heart of her music. She went on to conquer the guitar and bass. “I want the strings to be my voice and portray as much feeling as a singer would,” Paiva says.

At the age of 15, Brittni produced and released her debut, award-winning CD, Brittni X 3, featuring two of Brittni’s original compositions as well as an eclectic collection of remakes. The all-instrumental CD is so named because this amazing young woman plays all three elements- ukulele, guitar and bass.

Paiva wowed audiences and received statewide acclaim. Keola Donaghy of NahenaheNet says, “Her debut release shows a musical maturity that defies her youth.” Jon Woodhouse of Maui News exclaims, “Brittni Paiva Most Promising Hoku winner has a talent for doing it all.” And Eddie Kamae concurs, saying, “Brittni is different, you can see it in her face and the way she plays her music. It comes from the soul.”

Now at the age of 16, Paiva is releasing her second album entitled, Hear... This CD encompasses genres ranging from Peruvian to Jazz to Hawaiian. Her original arrangements include increased diversity adding piano, percussions and her first vocal on the last track entitled, E Lohea Mai.

Through her instrumental dexterity and strength, this prodigiously talented teen looks forward to continuing to demonstrate the versatility of the ukulele by incorporating many different styles of music on this instrument, and also perpetuating the art of slack-key guitar for future generations of Hawaii. Becoming more confident through experience, Paiva hopes to increase her repertoire and build her own studio one day to inspire others on their musical journey.

Truly the Hawaiian darling of the stringed instruments, Brittni Paiva, “triple threat instrumentalist from Hilo looms as the next star in the island galaxy.” Wayne Harada, Honolulu Advertiser.