Notices about art and cultural events are posted in the weekly FoodShare email, on this website's Calendar of Events, and on beautiful posters prepared by Charlene Asato. 

Kalai Ki’i Pohaku

In 2014, we were privileged to witness Kumu Kimo Awai publicly confer the title of Master Stone Sculptor (Kalai Ki`i Pohaku) on Dr. Fred Soriano. 

Dr. Fred Soriano is an avid artist and is a well known and published Zen stone carver.  His passion of stone carving evolved from his love of the history of Hawaii and from his many years of  teaching.  He has created sculptures with Hawaiian themes and figures.  He was featured in the book, Fred Soriano, Kalai Ki’i Pohaku, Carver of Stone  by Charlene Asato (2011). Dr. Soriano also creates Japanese lanterns, water basins and Hawaiian sculptured figures.

Storytelling

Storytelling flourishes in Hakalau! We gather to listen to the stories of our elders, gleaning plantation history as well as shared wisdom and values. Waichi Ouye and the late Masa Chinen generously shared their stories with old and new residents alike. 

Among many other storytellers enjoyed here are: 
  • Authors Henry Kalalahilomoku Nalaielua and Sally-Jo Keala-o-Anuenue Bowman sharing No Footprints in the Sand: A Memoir of Kalaupapa 
  • Tita (Kathy Collins), Alton Chung, and Jeff Gere scare their Halloween audience with Obake stories.

Musical Performances

  • Byron Yasui performed an ukulele concert to honor our elders.  Ukulele master, jazz musician and internationally recognized composer of modern classical music, Dr. Yasui has been on the music theory/composition faculty at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa since 1972, where he presently chairs the graduate studies in music. He remains active as a freelance jazz double bassist, double bassist (part time) with the Honolulu Symphony, and a classical guitar duo partner with Brazilian virtuoso Carlos Barboso-Lima.
  • Grand Master Riley Lee: an American-born Australian-based shakuhachi player and teacher. In 1980 he became the first non-Japanese person to attain the rank of Dai Shihan (grand master) in the shakuhachi tradition. 
  • Billy Pereira, singer and guitarist, performed during mochi pounding festivities.
For the Hakalau Kuleana, our responsibility is to care for the land, the people, and the culture. We are guided by cultural values of YESTERDAY: Engage in collective effort. Look out for each other. Honor hard work. Show respect for those who came before us. Aloha and Mālama `Aina. In 2021, Akiko Masuda added two more values to the list: Consistently show up. Whatever has to be done, jump in and do it!