Honolulu’s own Noel Okimoto, a renowned drummer and jazz musician who’s performed in HPR’s own Atherton Studio, will be spending International Jazz Day on April 30 by bringing together musicians for Ohana Jazz Hawaii, a monthly live performance event celebrating the beauty of jazz.
Members of the public are invited to come enjoy the show where music students will be taking the stage alongside professional jazz musicians.
Okimoto is one of them, and he’s been in the game for a long time. His professional drumming career began when first played his father’s drums at the age of 11.
HPR sat down with Okimoto to talk more about his jazz career, how it started, and why jazz has stuck with him all his life.
“For me, it’s the communal aspect of it. And I think that goes for any type of ensemble music; you have to enjoy playing with your colleagues, playing with your classmates or fellow musicians,” Okimoto said.
“And jazz is sort of at a different level because you're improvising, so there's a high level of trust… and that's the beauty of the music. I love that aspect of it. It's that kind of decision making that’s so, so much fun,” he said.
Ohana Jazz Night will be held at the Musicians' Association of Hawai‘i building on April 30 from 6 p.m. More information can be found here.
This story aired on The Conversation on April 28, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
