ALL ABOUT HONOKA
Honoka Katayama is a gifted ʻukulele player and singer from East Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. She first gained worldwide attention as part of the electrifying duo Honoka & Azita, scoring millions of views for their YouTube videos. In 2019, Azita stepped away to pursue a degree in the medical field. Honoka chose to continue on as a solo artist and she has been on fire ever since!
How It All Began
Honoka’s love for the ʻukulele was nurtured at ʻUkulele Hale, a studio founded by Jody Kamisato. As a mentor, he pushed her to excellence while opening up opportunities for travel through competitions and festivals. The ʻukulele has taken her across the US continent and to various countries. These countries include Czech Republic, Okinawa, Japan, Niue and more.
After years as a student and performer, Honoka became an instructor, raising up the next generation of young players. All this while pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies.
Accomplishments
In 2013, Honoka with her partner Azita entered the International ʻUkulele Contest. They took top honors with 1st place in the Group Division as well as the highly prestigious title of MVP.
Soon after, they were invited to Okinawa, Japan to open for the famous Japanese band BEGIN, along with other popular Japanese artists at the annual “Utano Hi” concert. The duo performed for over 8,000 people and were also featured on nationwide TV.
Honoka & Azita were part of the Island Style ʻUkulele 2 album, which received the 2015 Nā Hoku Hanohano Award for Compilation Album of the Year, the Hawaiian equivalent of the Grammy Awards.
In the summer of 2015, the girls embarked on a highly successful 5-week tour throughout Japan. They were also invited to perform at the 3rd Annual Czech ʻUkulele Festival in Prague, receiving rave reviews from world renowned musicians to ʻukulele enthusiasts from around the world.
Honoka continues to bring light and energy to the world through her music and her deep connection to earth and sea. She is actively songwriting so look for a full length project coming out soon! Find out more via honokamusic.com.
