1 40 2 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/951e47f70c52c50208f7fbcb06420bd0.jpg 7911f28122c9bea932b05f3b66265bba https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/13bd137b1258ccce392fd5fd0f997432.jpg ed0cc1731553df1dc6ed04bd1e3b5afe https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/30513dd092ee10f9f2f50c9c9097c4c2.jpg e1d8991236eda305b0fc341ce5f34424 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/0d646241d15bcc302c4126c0b0f6fde2.pdf d4901e84841f8acafa569e8dcdc23442 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/b44522673c425a6900fb40fede406b94.pdf b597d3041b5606fcf6ec26cc010c3393 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/822dadafee257288d8ad0abea603f145.pdf 70f258a8ddcfe72dbd6b4fc7a037e321 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/eb7a90bf7353b34fb291f28bf252e160.pdf 921b6db37b38e38be759bf9b3dd4104c https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/040c2b960a66b74733aae91c60c64ce5.pdf 21d486917cd0549c1d2e1ed20d6de7a6 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/d1bfb532b64f36543ae4f170ee7ed6f9.pdf 671a556ceb74debae3a178205dcd0add https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/d7895d07e0e304656933b69320c45505.pdf 64947e763cd303fdd849e967bf0c46fc https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/10cc20f6a95545f3d1447edcbef5238c.pdf 8918269f792da13f987dacfc4ba52571 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/ae46042e9a260ae2a3ce07328004f195.pdf 9d0cfb5ef9425eaf8c040a7262f8c6c1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <strong>Michael Kekaimoku Toshi Yoshikawa</strong> Subject The topic of the resource Michael Kekaimoku Toshi Yoshikawa Description An account of the resource Raised in California, “Moku” Yoshikawa moved to Hawaiʻi in 1986 and opened Kapōmākolekapuakāne in 1991. I was always interested in Hawai‘i while I was growing up in Carson, California because of the influences of my mother Mary Yoshikawa. It was she who planted the seed of Hawai‘i and its culture within the depths of my soul. I remember the family preparing for our annual family lū‘au to which all of the relatives were invited. Everything from the dining to the living room were stacked and piled into the bedrooms. We constructed low lying tables that one actually had to sit on the floor in order to eat. My mother would then decorate the table tops with ferns from the yard and mounds of fruit. Whenever we prepared for this lū‘au, I knew that the food was going to be delicious. Such delicacies like laulau, poi, lomi salmon, and raw fish. My mother played Hawaiian music and would mimic the hula for entertainment. Influences such as these transferred over into my school work. All book reports or art projects always carried a Hawaiian theme. Soon I became known as the little Hawaiian boy to all my friends. Through childhood I developed a strong sense of Hawaiian identity as well as a pride for my culture. My younger sister Karen was learning hula from Sissy Kaio and I would continually nag my mother to ask if she had a class for teenagers. Through my persistence Sissy opened a class for my two cousins and myself. Thus my training in hula began at the age of fourteen. Sissy provided me with a firm foundation of the hula and its basic fundamentals. Being ha‘aha‘a was always adhered to as well as enjoying the hula. With it came a definite sense of spirituality and within time, Hawai‘i, its people, and culture became a passion. I especially became interested in oli or chanting, something very foreign to a young man in California. I had no formal training in the art of oli. It all began one summer when again, my mother returned home from Hawaiʻi. With her she brought LP records of chanters such as Edith Kanaka'ole and her daughters Nalani and Pualani, Kalia'i Topolinski, Keli'i Tau‘a, and Mililani Allen. Also a record of our kupuna entitled “Na Leo Ka Wa Kahiko." I would listen to these recordings wholeheartedly day after day; my ear glued to the stereo. I would chant and enunciate with the text that were graciously provided. I am thankful for these recordings because they were my beginning. Since I have moved to Hawaiʻi, I have studied briefly with Kalani Akana and I have always been supported by Uncle George Nā'ope of Hawai'i who came to California to give hula workshops. In time I was appointed to alaka‘i of the men’s class and then became ho‘opa‘a because of my desire to chant. I was only eighteen. Experience would come in the form of trial and error, trusting the instinct within my na‘au. The men’s class became my responsibility to which Sissy herself would come watch and listen. She encouraged me to choreograph a mele or we would create in tandem. It was a relationship that lasted for a total of eight years. To this very day I still return to California and share what I have learned with Sissy and her hālau, an act that was bestowed upon me so freely and lovingly. We experienced many parties, shows, and competitions together as kumu and haumāna but my appetite to learn more about hula was voracious. In the summer of 1986 I moved to Hawai‘i and after settling in, an invitation came to join The Gentlemen of Maluikeao under the guidance of Palani Kahala. Thus began my training with Palani after receiving my blessings from Sissy to further my hula career. Palani refined me. Being a very creative person, he always had a new idea or concept to execute. He challenged himself to different tangents in hula. A very contemporary style based on a strong knowledge of traditional values. Costuming was always impeccable and precise. He stressed the importance of learning the language and opened my sense of creativity, smoothing out all my rough edges. You will always see traces of Palani’s teaching within my choreographies as I mix his with mine. I was training in ho‘opa‘a class when Palani became ill and so classes had to be postponed until he was in better health. Unfortunately we were unable to continue because of his untimely death. Prior to his passing Palani gathered four of his haumāna, Leimomi Cruz, Pomaika‘i Gaui, Ka‘ilipūnohu Canopin, and myself and gave us his blessings to begin our own halau. Later he sat me down in private, talking and instilling in me that the journey and responsibility that I would be undertaking is of great importance and that one day I would be a great hula teacher. It was a special moment for me and I knew it was his way of telling me that he would always be by my side. I will always remember him. Palani was the one who gave me the name of my hālau. One day he came over to my apartment and said he had been dreaming of this Hawaiian name for three nights straight. He then said it was meant for me. The name that was given, Ka-pōmākole-kapu-a-kāne, means, “The Sacred Night Rainbow of Kāne. I gladly accepted his gift and he advised me to have the name blessed. This was done by my dear friend Richard Kamanu of Kaua‘i. Within the last two years I have had the pleasure of being reunited with the Hawaiian side of the family. It was a childhood dream come true because I knew my talents just didnʻt come from nowhere. I knew that the knowledge of my Hawaiian ancestry would be revealed to me when the time was right. Upon meeting and spending time with them, I have found that there were and still are kumu hula within the family line and that hula and music are part of their everyday lives. Knowing this I have found the root from which I grow and it has given me just that much more mana to continue on. To my ‘ohana in Kohala and here on O'ahu, it has been my pleasure and honor to finally have placement with my kupuna. My greatest accomplishments are not measured by physical things such as trophies and plaques but of growth within spirit and knowledge. If there was one thing that I could say to my haumāna and other kumu and their hālau, it would be “Kulia i ka nu‘u!” (Strive to reach the highest!) 116 Michael Kekaimoku Toshi Yoshikawawa George Nā‘ope Kalani Akana Palani Kahala https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/f41491bf4379f1437e6913b45e250b23.jpg 4097707e458956ecf60ca73a90dcf135 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/a8d96e0ca9db97f52248a906b820079b.jpg df142ce9207f16a2cc4adb76def3c41e https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/690ded56140f0a4c33cfc0ab137af950.pdf 3630cd43cdcb9475380a6275a3a27951 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/3b79fb3ce24ab879cee7cc7efaff47f7.pdf e9327fac3a92c54d5330b26c67a6eede https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/a89a85ea191e581498ab2755c9cb4219.jpg efb4570fc5fe775b9ba8a9b80b076062 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/0c4a836c53cfc1a4ad4d186d5c77bf47.pdf 15aad2ce9a5f8bd5ddb2510b4efed34c https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/a921af3818581347144f0ee1eb728ed1.jpg 884aee2b09009d0bcf1180a9a556d751 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/6e3a60e68d52005368d2e17ea4f9ed57.pdf b4abb7dda1c34567c589eecce9a6fbda https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/506076c3a794e981f4f16542656a105a.pdf 31b5eba78b7179c672cc80ac5d277c71 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/5cab7e36b778ff4e04b3720f82a11557.pdf 0a6e448a62f3feef5151a3fa2280504e https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/a5fe4c0d6cfe8f9a784913ec3f8448cc.pdf 354ab519d1fdf35f84aff53b99f7629e https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/a082c83f1b56de4ecd990c9d74d9b1eb.pdf eefb67c90508b216bc5d65e2d6ac41a2 https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/56dc2cd73194436387f00e2af73af931.pdf fe0519926b0fd082c12c017443fd27fe https://nakumuhula.org/archive/files/original/76b8d1a48cba307e13fb28f9fbb45df4.pdf f53a33bda59bfc1ae58a04e73bdd0aa5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <strong>Keith Kalani Akana</strong> Subject The topic of the resource Nā Kumu Hula Keith Kalani Akana - Nānā I Nā Loea Hula Volume 2 Page 8 Description An account of the resource Keith Kalani Akana A teacher for the Hawaiian Immersion Program at Waiau Elementary School, Kalani Akana is kumu hula of Ka Pā Hula Hoʻoheno Hawaʻi established in 1987. In school I didn’t consider myself a good hula dancer and I didn’t think I had a strong voice since I flunked concert glee. But I listened to the chanting of Ho‘oulu Richards, Nona Beamer. Hoakalei Kaniauʻu and Kalena Silva and they became my models. It wasn’t talent but I believe it took hard work and dedication that developed my voice. When I was a sophomore at the Kamehameha Schools, I was hired by my teacher Sarah Quick as an aide for Hawaiian language but I also helped Hoʻoulu Richards teach hula to the students in the school’s Explorations Program. I was really shy but she compelled me to teach. She ingrained poise and confidence in me. Watching the effect she had on the students kindled my interest in hula as a teaching tool to reach children. Shortly after, my relative Palani Kahala, a fellow Hawaiian language student and classmate, persuaded me to learn hula from him. One afternoon in Aunty Nona Beamer’s room, he started teaching me the rudiments of hula. Aunty Nona was very supportive of us by giving us access to her files and her advice. She even entered us in a hula competition at St. Andrews Priory in 1974. That’s where I first saw Kahaʻi Topolinski’s men perform. They were masculine and powerful. After graduating in 1975 I wanted to paddle canoe but I saw a newspaper ad for hula classes from Ka Pā Hula Hawaii. Remembering Kahaʻi’s men’s hula, I signed up and traveled all the way to the Waiāhole Poi Factory where the classes were held. Kahaʻi has been my kumu ever since. Kahaʻi engrained in me the love for the traditions of hula; particularly how it’s passed down from kumu to kumu and through family. I was especially touched by his treatment of his family chants. I could see the direct tie between kumu, family, and the past. As a history buff he brings a great knowledge to each of his hula. He touched not only the emotional but the intellectual cord within me. He taught me how to discover my positive Hawaiian self. I had what they call a huʻelepo ceremony. It was a private and small ceremony held at noon. It was attended by Kahaʻi, the family, and myself. We had those special ʻailolo foods, chanting, and pule. I observed a kapu period prior to the performance test and we had a small paʻina. Kahaʻi was very gracious. He allowed me to take workshops from other people. I started taking chanting lessons from Kalena Silva and attended Aunty Edith Kanakaʻole’s workshops. Also I learned from Aunty Edith McKinzie whenever she conducted workshops for the State Council on Hawaiian Heritage. I was fortunate to receive a scholarship at the University of Hawaiʻi in Hawaiian language from the Kamehameha Schools. I saw hula and chant as a vehicle to reach the Hawaiian youth but language is what tied it all together. I use this knowledge and my abilities in language to explain to the students the stories brought alive through the hula. Hula gave me an arena to internalize and ruminate on the meaning, kaona, and language. I don’t like the term “hula kahiko.” We always used the word “hula ʻōlapa” in our hālau. Hula kahiko technically means “old hula” and I don’t like stereotyping hula as being something old. Our people had a name for every hula by its type and style: hula noho, hula ʻulīʻulī, hula palm, hula ʻālaʻapapa, and so on. A hula person must know all these kinds of hula. So hula kahiko is a broad term that is not linguistically correct and I think it’s too stifling because it doesn’t account for the traditional kinds of hula and for hula that we need to branch off into. There are four important elements to become a successful kumu hula. First, language is the key for any aspiring kumu hula. Young people have an advantage because they can decide early on to learn the language. Secondly, whether they ʻūniki or not, they need a kumu or a mentor to turn to. That’s why we have the word kumu, meaning the source. If a person doesn’t have a kumu or a mentor, they’re going to flounder. Thirdly, a young kumu has to develop a style and creatively develop something unique that makes him/her a little different. And lastly, every kumu has to have and preserve the tradition of their hālau. If I teach a dance from my hālau, it’s my obligation to teach the exact way I learned the dance. That my kumu is satisfied and approves of what I do is an accomplishment. Graduation is one way that the kumu acknowledges the student. Anyone can graduate if they put on a good show but the proof is if you can continue to please your kumu. If I didn’t do that, then there’s really no sense of me even continuing. I have my masters, degree and soon I would like to start on my doctorate. But I can truthfully say, of all the formal Western style education that I’ve had, there’s greater satisfaction in the formal traditional graduation and training of hula. There’s a lot more pride, a lot more satisfaction. You receive much more than you can ever give. I’ve come to the realization that you cannot compare a degree with what you really get from the hula which is the pride of knowing that you are continuing a tradition. “I saw hula and chant as a vehicle to reach the Hawaiian youth but language is what tied it all together. ” Kaha‘i Topolinski Nona Beamer Palani Kahala