Karen Valentine
Karen, along with Barbara Garcia, envisioned and created Ke Ola Magazine in 2008. She acted as co-publisher and editor until 2012. She has lived in Hawai‘i since 1999 and has family on Hawai‘i Island. She was co-publisher of Hawai‘i Island Journal until 2005, when she moved to Honolulu for two years. She has worked as an advertising copywriter, publisher of several magazines in Michigan, book editor and writer for such magazines as Hawai‘i Business, Enterprise magazine, Southwest Michigan Living, and Better Homes & Gardens. Karen has a college degree in journalism and art, and is a practitioner of Hawaiian cultural arts, including hula. She enjoys sailing her yacht throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
The Lim Family of North Kohala: The Third Generation of Hawaiian Music and Hula Royalty Carry Traditions Forward
By Karen Valentine How one family can encompass so much talent is almost beyond the comprehension of us mere mortals. Yet, in the presence of Hawaiian music and hula royalty, the Lim Family makes it seem easy as they share…
“He Wa‘a He Moku; He Moku He Wa‘a” (A Canoe Is an Island; an Island Is a Canoe): Ancient Hawaiian Voyaging is Reborn on Hawai‘i Island
By Karen Valentine In each ‘ohana (family), there are those who are called to the sea and those to whom the ‘āina (land) speaks, so they plant the food and the trees that help sustain everyone, including those who choose…
Caring for Kaloko Fishpond: A Valuable Cultural Resource
A long the desolate western coastline of Hawai‘i Island, not too far north of Kailua-Kona, lies a property more valuable than the multi-million-dollar homes and resorts that distinguish the area. At least it was to the ali‘i—the chiefs and chiefesses…
Bridge House: A Sanctuary with Mana, Where Recovering Addicts Can Find Peace and Healing
By Karen Valentine It’s a rocky road full of pitfalls and the illusion of adventure, the life of a drug and/or alcohol addict. For those who want it to end, at the end of the road is a place called…
Songbirds of Miloli‘i: Nā Kūpuna, Nā Keiki, and Diana Aki
Diana Puakini Aki had already acquired the nickname “The Songbird of Miloli‘i” when she received the Female Vocalist of the Year award for her debut album, Memories of You, in 1990. One of the songs on it is a haunting…
Rough Ridin’ Cowboys Show Their Stuff at Pana‘ewa
Get ready for some rough ridin’, hoof poundin’, fur flyin’, cowboy rockin’ excitement as some of the island’s top contenders don boots, hats, and spurs to thrill the crowd at the 24th annual Panaewa Stampede Rodeo on February 13 and…
She’s a Survivor: Virginia Isbell of West Hawai‘i
By Karen Valentine I’ve been dead three times,” said former Hawai‘i State Legislator and Hawai‘i County Councilwoman Virginia Isbell. “I survived because I’m a rotten kid—a stubborn Italian. I learned if you don’t fight, you don’t get. After that I’m…
The Merrie Monarchs of Hulihe‘e Palace: The Men Who Sing for the King
By Karen Valentine A group of men who love music and love to sing Hawaiian songs gathers together on one Sunday each month to sing their hearts out on the lānai at Hulihe‘e Palace in Kailua-Kona. They have staying power,…
Clifford Kopp and the Waikūpua Brick Garden
“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.” – Deepak Chopra By Karen Valentine It seems that…
The Shining Aloha Spirit of Uncle Donna Kuali‘i
By Karen Valentine It’s rare these days to find someone who is of 100 percent Hawaiian blood, and it’s a happy occasion to find one who is also full of 100 percent aloha. With a smile that’s a mile wide,…
Pu‘ukohola: A Prophecy Fulfilled, Past Conflicts Still Healing
Ho‘oku‘ikahi I Pu‘ukoholā (To Unify at Pu‘ukoholā) Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site will celebrate its 43rd anniversary with the park’s annual Ho‘oku‘ikahi i Pu‘ukoholā Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival on August 15–16, 2015. The festival will open with Nā Papa…
The Voice of Skylark: Radio Diva and Passionate Advocate for Hawaiian Music
By Karen Valentine A voice that could melt butter—velvety smooth and honed over a few decades of broadcasting and emcee gigs—is that of Skylark, professional name of the radio diva born as Jacqueline Leilani Rossetti. It’s not put-on or pretentious;…
Lovely Hula Hands of Sammi Fo
Buddy Fo had an impeccable ear for music…and a sharp eye for a beautiful woman. The popular musician and Lifetime Achievement Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner from the 1960s was recognized for his tune, rhythm, and complicated harmonies. It was…
Ka Puana: Images of America—Hilo
By Karen Valentine Cracked and fragile, the photographs sit in folders waiting to be carefully handled. Peering at handwritten notes several centuries old, I see that someone cared enough to leave a trace of history… A c. 1895 photograph shows…
Michael Kramer Redefines the Green Movement
By Karen Valentine If you noticed Michael Kramer marching in the 2009 Kailua-Kona Christmas Parade as the Green FlashTM along with other Green Power HeroesTM, you’d never guess he makes his living as an investment advisor. The truth is, he’s…
Ka Puana–Lighting the Path
Following are excerpts from Kailua-Kona resident Kumu Keala Ching’s book, Lighting the Path. Used with permission. The Vision In 2008, Barbara Garcia and I had the vision of helping the Hawai‘i Island community increase their understanding of the Hawaiian culture.…
Then & Now: 50 Years of Merrie Monarch Festival–Nānā I Ke Kumu…Look to the Source
By Karen Valentine Something extraordinary happened in Hilo, Hawai‘i, in 1963—something no one would have guessed would blossom into the pinnacle of celebration and recognition of excellence in the Hawaiian cultural practice of hula. This year, the Merrie Monarch Festival…
Storytelling Quilts: From the Wisdom and Wit of Rozemaryn Van Der Horst
By Karen Valentine A storytelling quilt crafted by kupuna Rozemaryn Van der Horst is more than a beautiful rendering of fabrics, hand embroidery, colors, patterns and shapes that tell a story, it is a glimpse into the brilliant mind and…
Lighting the Path: Kumu Keala Ching Liberally Shares His Passion for Hawaiian Culture
By Karen Valentine A gentle, humble, and graceful man commands a presence on stage or facing a group of students—rapt and listening intently. A kumu hula (teacher of hula), kumu ‘ōlelo (… Hawaiian language), kumu oli (… chant), practitioner of…
A Mission of Enduring Gratitude: One Boy’s Life Opened a Door for Community Caring
By Karen Valentine A beam of light filters through the thickly compacted branches towering overhead, highlighting the myriad hues of green: from light and delicate fern shades to deep and mysterious jungle tones. “My cathedral,” 25-year-old Daniel “Danny” Sayre calls…
Burning Spirit: Inspirations with Master Painter David “Kawika” Gallegos
By Karen Valentine Someone or some spirit has been looking out for David Maes “Kawika” Gallegos. With divine timing and serendipity, and in spite of personal crises, deep heartbreaks and challenges, the right person (or angel) has appeared at the…
The Art of Clayton Bryant Young: Former Green Beret Creates Paintings with Spirit
By Karen Valentine When you consider that artist Clayton Bryant Young was once a Green Beret, spending 11 years in the U.S. Army, you might wonder how being a soldier has affected his art and his art career. The luscious,…
Herb Kawainui Kāne, Larger Than Life
By Karen Valentine Setting sail in the weather and sea conditions of home port, we begin our journeys in life. As we stretch out across the vast seas of experience, our course is adjusted with input from sources that reveal…
Capturing the Ephemeral: The Passions and Palettes of Painter Rod Cameron
By Karen Valentine The eight-year-old boy stood, transfixed, as the rest of his friends ran ahead during their tour of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. They turned around, worried about young Rod Cameron. The object of his fascination?…
Used Veggie Oil Fuels Fabulous Glass Art
By Andrea Dean and Karen Valentine In their studio on the Hamakua Coast, glass blowing artists Hugh Jenkins and Stephanie Ross move around each other in an intricate dance done with hot glass on the end of metal pipes. They…
Art Under Foot: It’s More Than Just a Rug
By Karen Valentine Walking barefoot inside your tropical Hawaiian home gives you an appreciation for the floor covering that’s more than esthetic. The tactile sense now becomes as important as the functionality, maintenance and appearance. One option that may not…
Storytelling with Color and Canvas: Suzy Papanikolas Makes Hawai‘i’s People Come Alive
By Karen Valentine A painting by Suzy Papanikolas delights the eyes and the imagination. As you walk by it, whether in a gallery or in your own home, it grabs your attention. What is that? It’s not what is in…
Dancing in the Light: Visions on Silk by Kristi Kranz
By Karen Valentine A gossamer weave of silk, light as light itself, dances in the morning sun. Stretched between two sawhorses at the studio of artist Kristi Kranz, it awaits the perfection of a completed image, born of the visions…
Portraits of a Culture: The Photographic Artistry of G.P. Merfeld
By Karen Valentine with G.P. Merfeld Chances are, if you are a hula dancer performing at a local festival, a musician strumming at an outdoor concert, a proud member of the Royal Court, or a paddler in the Lili’uokalani Outrigger…
