Sound of Hawaii | Cultural Music Review
The Band: Kulāiwi
Kulāiwi, Ke'ala 'O Kamailelauli'ili'i & Manawaiopuna, and Taimane T Tuia'ana are set to grace the stage at the eagerly anticipated Sound Of Hawaii event at Green River College. The evening promises to be a vibrant celebration of Hawaiian music and culture, with Taimane T Tuia'ana taking on the role of the charming emcee for the evening. Get ready for a mesmerizing showcase of talent and passion as these artists come together to create a truly unforgettable experience for all music lovers in attendance.
First, a disclaimer:
This isn't your typical music review, but instead a “culture music review” of a recent, amazing, personal experience at Green River College (GRC). In it, I will discuss the meanings behind the songs and performances and cover a protest movement. This will be a different kind of writing than you usually see on my blog, but I hope my readers will come away enlightened and inspired.
I want you to imagine that you are sitting in a concert hall waiting for a rock concert, or some event where you would normally root and cheer for your favorite band to come onstage. Instead, at this concert you are teleported into a different world. That is what happened to me on Wednesday, May 15th, 2024, when the Sound of Hawai’i arrived on the campus of Green River College (12401 SE 320th St, Auburn, WA 98092).
The Emcee
The Sound of Hawai’i was capably emceed by Taimane (“Mane”) T Tuia'ana. Mane is the MANA Young Program Manager for UTOPIA Washington, an incredible organization. They greeted us all with a warm smile and opened by honoring the land that GRC is standing on. Once we honored the land, we were honored to experience a unique island nation we know as Hawai’i as they introduced the opening show.
Kamaile Hamada with Ke'ala 'O Kamailelauli'ili'i & Manawaiopuna
Everyone’s attention was riveted as Kamaile Hamada took possession of the stage. He started out by welcoming the audience and explaining what "Kulāiwi" means: the “land of my ancestors.” Kamaile oversees dozens of students at the Ke'ala 'O Kamailelauli'ili'i Foundation, a Hālau (hula school) in Federal Way, WA. What followed was a special performance by the talented dancers, musicians, and singers of Ke'ala 'O Kamailelauli'ili'i and Manawaiopuna.
They began with the musicians drumming powerfully from the front of the stage to call on their Hawaiian deity. Then out of nowhere, on the far-left rear of the stage, some young Hawaiian ladies answered the call. Next, a few steps to the right in the middle, another group of young women echoed the call; and a few more steps to the right, a third group finished the call. Once all three sets of women responded, the dancers came out to join the musicians. You could feel the proud and vibrant energy rolling off the stage as they shared the culture of their people with the audience.
It is important to realize that hula is not just singing and dancing for entertainment, but incorporates entire stories, histories, and genealogies of the Hawaiian people. The performance lasted for maybe 45 minutes, but it felt like time stopped with the magic they released. Just like that... the Hawaiian god was summoned. Even as a pagan, I felt it. It was breathtaking. I attempted to record it all, but it didn’t save. I thought of the saying, "It wasn't meant to be recorded, but experienced." Perhaps a message to me from their deity?
Once the Ke'ala 'O Kamailelauli'ili'i and Manawaiopuna performers completed their cultural experience, three well-known Hawaiian artists took to the stage.
Kulāiwi
The musical group Kulāiwi consists of Kawika Kahiapo, Lehua Kalima Alvarez, and Shawn Kekoa Pimental. I really can’t put it better than their website’s bio: “With soaring vocals, island harmonies and a folk vibe, along with an easy-going charisma and witty banter, they are committed to telling the stories of Hawai’i – the land and the people – from their Indigenous points-of-view. Their prodigious talents as lyricists and composers create music imbued with Hawaiian values and ways of seeing and living in the world. Both their original songs and their selections of Hawaiian classics are inspired by diverse musical styles and reflect their passionate commitment to their islands.” (https://kulaiwimusic.com/bio)
These incredibly talented individuals have collected numerous awards both separately and together. Most recently their self-titled album “Kulāiwi-Native Lands” won the 2022 Na Hoku Hanohano Album of the Year through the Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts (Hawaiian music’s “Grammys”). Now that you have a little background, let’s go on to the performance I was privileged enough to witness.
The Experience
When I listened to these three harmonies on stage move through songs written to honor Hawaii to covering Crosby, Stills, and Nash, my heart and soul just swelled with feeling and once again time stood still for me. I was glued to my seat and avidly soaking up every note. Kulāiwi was joined on stage by the lovely hula dancer Pono Fernandez. She wore amazingly gorgeous dresses that represented her native home. Ms. Fernandez performed the hula as Kawike Kahiapo, Lehua Kalima, and Shawn Pimental sang their songs of Hawai’i.
There were two Hawaiian stories that really stuck with me. In the first, Lehua Kalima’s uncle, a famous Hawaiian in his own right, wrote a poem to describe solar eclipses from the traditional point of view. He imagined a giant mythical bird flying up towards the heavens to block out the sun. Once they told the story so we could follow along, they sang the song itself and Pono danced to illustrate the bird blocking the sun. It was very moving, and I highly recommend checking out the song and hula on the information panel.
The Last Queen of Hawai’i
The second story that deeply impacted me honors the last queen of Hawai’i. Her Royal Highness Queen Lili'uokalani was the final sovereign to serve Hawai'i prior to the monarchy’s dissolution. She was a strong and admirable woman who worked hard to benefit her Hawaiian people. She peacefully but determinedly stood up to U.S. businessmen and government officials in an effort to preserve Hawaiian self-rule and culture. It is difficult to do justice to her struggle and the way her rule ended, so please watch and read the links on the information panel. It will truly encourage and inform you concerning indigenous rights and our own U.S. history.
Away from the Music to an Important Issue in Hawaii
Kulāiwi also talked a bit about protests against additional telescope construction, something the Hawaiian people have been battling for ages. I remember briefly hearing about it in the news. There is currently a large astronomical complex with numerous observatory telescopes at the summit of Hawai’i’s highest mountain, Mauna Kea, on the Big Island of Hawai’i. The complex has been administered by the University of Hawai’i for decades, and native Hawaiians have long complained that their spiritual beliefs concerning the mountain are repeatedly ignored.
The conflict arises because the summit of Mauna Kea is one of the best observatory locations in the entire world, but it is also a place held sacred by the Hawaiian people, who believe it is where all life on earth began. Now there are plans to build yet another major project, the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT), which would upon completion be one of the world’s largest. Protests against the project erupted multiple times between 2014 and 2019, only ending due to Covid restrictions. There is a video linked on the information panel. Note that Hawaiians are not against science but against their sacred mountain being further desecrated. They justifiably want a say in how Mauna Kea is managed, and negotiations to further that goal continue.
The Impact of Music
Musicians sing and write poetry/lyrics about the important things that affect our lives and our hearts, and our work expresses who we are as a human being. But here, at GRC, to have a whole island nation express how proud they are of WHO they are as a culture and as one family—well, it was an unbelievably wonderful experience to witness. They celebrate their community with such beauty and energy, and I feel many people could learn from them.
If you are interested in listening to, watching, or learning more about Kulāiwi, Kamaile Hamada and the Ke'ala 'O Kamailelauli'ili'i Foundation, or about Taimane T Tuia'ana and UTOPIA Washington, please check out their music videos, websites, and tour schedules to set up your own Sound of Hawai’i immersion. Experience their stories, because they bring a different kind of meaning to the music industry… a cultural music review.
LTATM Blogger’s Message
I have always wanted to visit Hawaii, and I believe this experience is as close as I will get to enjoying this wonderful island nation. I want to thank GRC for their teaching and for providing incredible opportunities like this one. I have been a student at Green River College since 2018 and will finish in December 2024. My mission in going back to college was to rebrand Let’s Talk About the Music. I couldn’t have done it without the radio program KGRG and the business program.
Thank you.
If you would like to support me, you can donate once or subscribe monthly by clicking the "Buy me a coffee" button.
Until next time
Let’s Talk About the Music,
Because Music is Everywhere!
Social media, Music Videos, and
other information
UTOPIA Washington is committed to providing support services across that address basic needs from food access to medical care, we want to help you in your journey.
Ke’ala ’O Kamailelauli’ili’i Foundation (kamailehamada.com)
DEDICATING 27 YEARS TO THE CONTINUITY & CELEBRATION OF HAWAIIAN CULTURE, TRADITIONS & BELIEFS THROUGH LANGUAGE, SONG, CHANT & DANCE.
Keʻala ʻO Kamailelauliʻiliʻi (WAHINE)
Hālau Location: Federal Way, Washington
