Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 6, 1 June 1997 — Musician passes Hawaiian musical heritage to Maui youth [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Musician passes Hawaiian musical heritage to Maui youth

by Barbra An Pleadwell Well-known entertainer "Pekelo," Peter Cosma, teaches kī hō'alu (slack key) guitar to Maui children through his Maui Youth Slack-Key Project. Pekelo had been sharing his gift with Hawai'i students at schools island-wide before starting the project. "As an artist I feel it is my

responsibility to see to it that as many children as possible are exposed to slack-key playing," Pekelo said. "Of the Hawaiian youth on Maui, only a handful have had the opportunity to encounter the art." The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) awarded a grant to Pekelo to run his program. He also received funding from the East Maui Taro Festival Committee and contributed personal funds to the project. 'The vision is one of using the Hawaiian tradition of slack key to awaken the musical heritage in kids at

ages when music is forming their lives," said Carl Lindquist, president of Hāna Community Arts Council. The eouneil is administrator of the OHA grant. Twelve upcountry students and 12 from central iMaui are participating in the Maui Youth Slack Key Project. Several months into the project whieh began in February, Pekelo's students have learned the fundamentals of plucking guitar. In the first week of the five-month course students learned the history of kī hō'alu. In the second week students

held the guitars. They learned about the different parts of the guitar and how to care for the instrument, "E mālama kika." A good part of the grant monev is used for guitars custom made for children's smaller hands. In the following weeks they learned to tune the guitar from standard (haole)

key to slack key (kī hō'alu). The students keep a journal so they ean record and review their improvements. By the closing months, students should be ready for song development. Pekelo taught Hawaiian studies and music in the Windward O'ahu School District during the 1994-95 school year.

Accordmg to the superintendent's office, Pekelo was so charismatic that students were caught cutting other classes to attend his sessions. The previous year Pekelo taught kī hō'alu at Benjamin Parker School where Milton Pa with

the Hawaiian Studies Program eommended him for his presentations ealling them a true learning experience for more that 4,000 students who attended. Pekelo has performed at slack key guitar festivals throughout the islands. He has participated in fundraisers for

Pūnana Leo, the Jerry Lewis Telethon, and performed for prisoners at Hālawa. He has given demonstrations for students across the state and along _ the West Coast of the United States. "I really admire what Pekelo is doing for the Maui kids," Lindquist said. "He is a very busy guy and to take time out of his life to do this is

admirable." "I am looking to promote an almost lost Hawaiian art," Pekelo said. "There are only a handful of slack key artists on Maui — Sam Ahia, Moses and George Kahumoku — and another handful who teach — Kevin Brown and Unele Sol."

t m* 11 9ld ah4 t m* iHtaciteA i h Mneie. t t9vc t9 fin 5 ah4 pt*y \kutctc. t V9uU I /€>y tike t9 tctoH tO tt9K*tu Ue*ufe it ii ptot 9( Ae>it*$e ah4 *9t»etAi h$ t cah take vitA b*e tA*9u$A9ut t*y ti(e. — Krlst1ne Kaahumanu Kuulpo Kahuhu's appllcatlon for Maul Youth Slack Key Project

Ka Wai Ola o OHA

Pekelo's students pose tor a photo during class.

Pekelo flanked by students enrolled in his Maui Slack-Key Project.

Maui Slack-Key Project students writing in their joumals.