Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 4, 1 April 2010 — Singing the praises of a Hawaiian music tradition [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Singing the praises of a Hawaiian music tradition

Dirk Soma KS class of '81 Community Outreach Manager I remember the way the music brought me back to

my culture. We were learning the meanings behind the words, not just the literal translations but the true kaona. It was also interesting to learn about the life and times of the composers and their role in Hawaiian history.

The OHA 'ohana includes many graduates of Kamehameha Schools, including Francine Murray, who took the photos at left. Several OHA employees shared their favorite Song Contest memories with KWO's Liza Simon:

Peter Hanohano KS class of '67 Community Relations Specialist There were so many gifted

andtalented musicians in my class, including Robert Cazimero. Robert was our song leader from freshman year. He instilled in us a love for Hawaiian music. Even though the practices were long and arduous, he made sure they were also fun.

Denise lseriMatsubara KS class of '81 Community Relations Director I remember

getting out of class for the practices. Then eame senior year and we swept the competition awards. I'll never forget that feeling of winning. We were all so proud. J •_ ,Vii ■■ i

Tane Mosher KS class of '78 Human Resources Manager I was in tno n rot oi

J 11H_ 111.51 V- V V_1 freshman class that won. It was awesome. Usually the seniors were the winners. I remember Dr. Lyman coming out on stage and saying, Tt's time for the old bulls to move over.' "

Charlyn Ontai KS class of '97 Executive Assistant I felt that my class was

umque īn so many ways. In our freshman year, the boys and girls turned to face eaeh other in the co-ed category. In our senior year, a boy did a wonderful solo. We got so many comments that we stood out for being unique. It was no surprise that in our senior year, we swept the awards. : ■ I ■ ■ ■ <

moomeheu

www.oha.org/kwo

AB0VE: The Kamehameha Schools senior Class of 201 0, pictured above, enjoyed a moment of pure jubilation when they were declared the overall winners in the 90th annual Kamehameha Schools on March 1 9 at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. Through its long history, the eompetition remains a showcase for the very best in Hawaiian music repertoire. It is also a vehiele for perpetuating Native Hawaiian culture. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is a lead sponsor for the annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest. T0P RIGHT: Junior co-ed director Akea Kahikina - Photo: Francine Murray ■ 3 ■ ' * m ^ »