From Office Job To Hawaiian Band Leader

Kaleo Lee’s Hawaiian heritage has always been important to him, but it wasn’t until recently that he had the time or energy to fully celebrate it with his family.

The Buffalo Grove resident’s days were consumed by his job on a computer help desk, leaving little time for him to spend with his wife and young children.

“My kids were noticing that I was gone a lot. One of my daughters drew a picture of my wife and her sisters, and I wasn’t there,” he said.

That was a wake-up call for Lee, who soon after left his job to invest in the booming real estate market. It was 2003, and he was able to make a living flipping houses.

Then, a few years later, the housing bubble burst.

“All we could do was put tenants in our properties,” Lee said. “That’s what brought me back to music.”

Lee, who sings and plays the drums, electric and bass guitars and ukulele, was raised on Hawaiian music, and his children have grown up hearing it in their home.

When his job shifted to basically that of a landlord, he suddenly had more time to spend on his music and with his family. Four years ago, he formed the Hawaiian band Makani with his daughters, who have embraced Hawaiian music and dances and eagerly share their talent on stage alongside their father.

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“Because of my free time, I’ve turned it into a very memorable childhood for them, I think,” he said. “I can sleep at night knowing that even though the market went bad … I’m so happy learning more about my culture.”

“I think it was the right decision based on what’s happening right now. It’s important to me that they have an opportunity to learn about their culture.”

When the housing market turns around, he said he plans to sell his rehabbed properties and "start over, one house at a time."

He expects that the market recovery will take years. Until then, he is content where he is, making music and building memories with daughters Alyssa, Brittany, Courtney and Gracie.

“I think there was a reason for how everything’s turned out,” he said.