The centerpiece acquisition and recent addition to the Malama Nā Mele collection is that of the tremendously important private collection of the famed Territorial Hawaiian musician, John Kameaaloha Almeida.

With some 300 recorded songs to his credit, and scores of one-of-a-kind transcription discs of live performances, the acquisition lends a keen sense of the relevance and real value of the preservation work of Malama Nā Mele. It is this featured portion of the collection, representing 172 unique Almeida 78 rpm recordings (as well as 65 transcription discs) that is the current focus of the digitization and archiving process.

Due to the sensitivity of these discs, and after a period of careful preparation, Malama Nā Mele is ready to employ the state-of-the-art technology required to preserve the music and create the archive!