Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 10, 1 October 2015 — Always with aloha [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Always with aloha

Kahele teaches how to make fresh flower lei on DVD By Francine Murray The mutli-award winning musician, Kuana Torres Kahele, shares one of his other many talents in a new edueahonal DVD called "Make Lei," one of the first ever videos on how to make several different types of fresh lei. Kahele was a hula dancer long before he heeame a musician, making his own lei as well as lei for others for as long as he ean remember. He later heeame a professional lei maker for various hālau competing in Merrie Monarch, weaving a full set of head, neek, wrist and ankle lei for eaeh member in a hālau by himself. He believed that for competition the lei should all look the same, as if they were all made by the same hand. Realizing there were so few people that made lei that looked like his, Kahele started

to teach as his tūtū had taught him — always make lei with aloha. He also added a touch of his personal flare and resourcefulness creating his own individual style. As Kahele traveled for his performances, he started holding workshops where he taught lei making. Later, he started recording short lessons and posting them online. Now, extended versions of his lessons are available on a convenient DVD that you ean waieh at your leisure. Gather your flowers and

follow along with Kahele as you create your very own beautiful fresh flower lei. An oli (chant) to Laka, the deity of the forest, opens the video presentation. And then, the first lei Kahele teaches us to make is a traditional lei haku featuring five colorful blossoms easily found on the Big Island. The detail and his tips help to make even a difficult step easy to follow. Besides, it's on video, so if you miss a step rewind it and watch it again until you get it. There are more contemporary lei lessons that follow, in whieh he offers innovative, one-of-a-kind ideas in his techniques and suggested materials. In total there a four lei styles featured on the DVD, interwoven with charming mo'olelo, stories Kahele shares about himself, the culture and the lei. One of Kahele's tips from Facebook: If flowers are in short supply or you are in a pineh, you ean buy a bouquet of flowers from the grocery store to make lei haku. For more information about Kuana Torres Kahele or the DVD visit www.napalapalai music.com or www.mountainapplecompany. eom. If the four lei lessons were not enough for you - no worries, there is cause for celebration - "Make Lei 2" will be out in 2016. ■

DVD REVIEW

Make Lei Kuana Torres Kahele Mountain Apple Co.

A snapshot of Kuana Torres Kahele making a traditional lei haku in his new DVD, Make Ie/'available atwww.napala palaimusic.com.