MAY 18, 2016 - VOLUME 31, ISSUE 20
The
Molokai Dispatch T H E I S L A N D ’S N E W S S O U R C E S I N C E 198 5
Molokai Musicians: Zelie Duvauchelle
By Roberta Cross, Community Reporter Editor's note: In a new series highlighting Molokai musicians, the Dispatch asks local artists about their roots, passions and influences.
Z
elie Duvauchelle was born and raised in Puko`o on the east end of Molokai. She is currently working on her album entitled “Hu,” which means "to pour forth." For the last 20 years, she has been performing, composing songs and preparing for this album. Duvauchelle’s big news is that her album will be co-produced with recording engineer Milan Bertosa. Bertosa recorded Israel Kamakawiwo`ole singing "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" and "White Sandy Beach" for the first time in a spontaneous late-night studio session in 1988. He was also the sound engineer for many of falsetto singer Kindy Sproat’s recordings. He will record her singing and playing `ukulele in August at her ocean-side home in Puko`o. Question: What’s your earliest musical memory? Answer: Being in my grandparent’s garage with all my aunties and uncles. There was a party and my aunties were dancing -- just getting up and dancing, and my uncles were playing music. I was playing with the other kids. My aunty Mary was doing the “bottle” dance, which was a naughty hula, and the adults were laughing so hard, I ran over to watch. I don’t remember the exact song they were playing. There was an empty whiskey bottle and they tied it around Aunty Mary’s legs, they rigged it somehow with nylon stockings, I think. Whenever she would do an `uwehe the bottle would go up her mu`umu`u. I was small, and watching this bottle go up and down under her dress. My grandma them were laughing so hard they were crying. She was real kolohe, my Aunty Mary, and as she got older she became real religious, and when I tried to talk to her about it later she said “shhhh, we don’t talk about that.” I’ve never seen any-
MURAL BRINGS MO`OLELO TO LIFE
By Catherine Cluett | Editor
I
f you ventured to Keawanui Fishpond last month, you would have found life taking shape. On eight seven-foot high canvas panels, the stories of Molokai were transformed from words to images. With warm colors and bold brushstrokes, more than a dozen local youth worked alongside artistic masters to create a mural that tells mo`olelo that many have never seen -- only heard. The mural consists of eight panels, each depicting stories from different areas of Molokai. About 48 mo`olelo are represented, with about five stories shown in each panel. Sixteen Molokai students, ages 10 to 16, five master Native Hawaiian artists and two Molokai apprentices worked for one week straight to bring life to ancient tales. Led and inspired by educator, artist and poet Maile Naehu, who teaches here on Molokai, the project is driven by a desire to empower youth to tell their island's stories. "Every single youth should be entitled
task in advance. Last year, Naehu led a smaller mural project that acted as a kick starter and recruiting tool for this larger masterpiece. She said about half of the students from last year's painting came back to participate for the week-long intensive. Aunty Opu`ulani Albino, a kupuna whom Naehu said she had worked with for years, taught students the mo`olelo. "When the kids would share these stories in the programs we [she and Albino] would teach, the parents would always come to me and be like, 'how come I didn't learn these stories growing up?'" said Naehu. "So that was like my main drive... if my generation and generations above don't know, we need to make sure the youth know. How do we immortalize these stoA Work in Progress ries through art?" While the art itself took shape over the Students traveled around the island period of one week, the preparation took visiting the sites of the mo`olelo, soaking nearly a year. Naehu said she worked to up the history of the tales they would soon recruit, educate and prepare youth for the
to become storytellers," said Naehu. "Make sure that the story is told right, and we can all be storytellers." The theme for the project is Aloha `Aina. "...That beautiful relationship that kanaka and land should have, and a lot of us have successfully disconnected ourselves from nature," explained Naehu. "A lot of these ancient stories and mo`olelo that are depicted in this mural project explain the natural phenomena or natural resources, how they came to be, who the protectors are, and why we need to keep telling these stories so we understand. It's not just a fluffy fairytale from a storybook, there are answers and reasons and purpose behind all of them."
Mural Continued pg. 7
Two Track Athletes Represent at States
THIS WEEK’S
Dispatch
Svetin Awarded Among 'Women of Excellence' Pg. 3 By Rick Schonely | Sports Reporter
K
ori Lee DeRouin (shot put) and Sehja Pedro (discus) of The Molokai Track Team competed at the 2016 Island Movers Track And Field Championships two weeks ago at Kamehameha Kapalama Campus on Oahu. DeRouin, a senior this year, came
in 21st place with a throw of 29 ft. 6.5 in. Pedro, a sophomore, placed 17th with a throw of 97 ft. 6 in. Coach Micah Buchanan said it was a good experience. "Our two athletes who made it to states this year did good but did not make the finals on Saturday," he said. "We had a very educational experience for our future seasons and overall great state tournament."
Tennis Doubles Take on States
Musician Continued pg. 7
Why We fly with Makani Kai “It’s just so easy,” says Kirk of flying with us. “Plus I like the people here and I know all the pilots.” Kirk, a father of five who works as a full time carpenter in Kalaupapa, was in Honolulu for the delivery of his fifth grandchild, “and we have another one coming next week on Maui.” Momentous times indeed for the Dela Cruz household. From topside Molokai to Honolulu or Kahului
$50 online fare, every seat, every flight, every day. MakaniKaiAir.com | (808) 834-1111
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Molokai Dispatch
P.O. Box 482219 Kaunakakai, HI 96748
Mikala & Kirk Dela Cruz Molokai Born & Raised
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