Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 9, 1 September 1997 — Sudden Rush Resists Status Quo [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Sudden Rush Resists Status Quo

"Kū ē." Sudden Rush's . .. second recordine effort, X 3' iS S blazes an unprecedented musical trail of CT®§fit-v g * enment on Hawai'i's SS eolonial past and the precarious socio-eco-nomie kūlana (status) of today's native population.

1n an atvpical approach to Hawaiian music, group membcrs Don Ke'ala Kawā'auhau Jr., Shane Veincent and Caleb Richards, mix hip-hop and inner-city rap, termed "pāleoleo" bv the Kōmike Hua 'Olelo (Hawaiian Lexicon Committee). The CD is upbeat , wellproduced and appealing, particularly to those less partial to traditional Hawaiian music. Sudden Rush fans will undoubtedly want to understand Hawaiian if they haven't already made the commitment to learn. Maika'i kēlā! The CD's title, "Kū'ē, " whieh means to oppose, resist or stand differently, was suggested by Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, director of the UH Mānoa Center for Hawaiian Studies. Two decades ago, Palani Vaughan's exclamations of "kū'ē, kū'ē, kū'ē" in his recorded composition "Ka Māmakakaua," turned Trask on to the term, now a buzz word in the Hawaiian political arena. "Kū'ē," alluding to the 1895 Wilcox Rebellion, was a cry of support and Ioyalty to Queen Lili'uokalani who was arrested and imprisoned on charges of trea-

son against tne self-proclaimed Provisional Government. Generations later, these Hilo-raised Kānaka Maoli men re-tell Hawaiian history in language clear, honest and to-the-point. Their work bucks the sta-

tus quo. The CD;coyer;fēatures|m I 1893 newspaper with an inset / ĒĒ iināge ōf the trio lu®3g forv\j&rd, their unfurled, up$f||§c|townf Hawaiian flag a svmboI oPpoliū-*yal-«MFesL--This image rafrodies fnnes plant-g-ying the U.SJfla gafc»Fwo Jima, an % ; i m a ge sy j|ynyfn o u s with determination and victory. Don Kawā'auhau's fluency in Hawaiian is key to the group's effectiveness in incorporating 'ōlelo Hawai'i into the hybrid "pāleoleo" genre. "King Don 1," as he is also known, is also a kumu (teacher) at Pūnana Leo o Hilo, a private Hawaiian language immersion pre-school. The CD ooens with a tradi-

tional mele, "I Kū Maumau," complete with narration explair ing its kaona (figurative — interpretation). "True Hawaiian" and "Paradise Found" are examples of effective weaving of Hawaiian amd English. Kumu Hula Keali'i Reichel, featured on two cuts, showcases his lyrieai sawy with an earthy, spirited leo (voice). Guests Reichel, Unele Willie K, 'Ehukai and John Cruz demonstrate the growing trend- among loeal recording artists to collaborate with talent from other groups. Kū'ē was produced by "Radical Rob" Onekea and Don Kawā'auhau, Sr. for Way Out West Enterprises. It is distributed by Ohnda Road Distributors. Appropriately, Sudden Rush concludes, "Kiek back, ho'olohe (listen), relax and drift into the World of the Rush. Love us or hate us, it doesn't matter — we're still here. A hui hou."

Ka Wai Ola o OHA