Under the Radar: Ben Kaili is His Own Man
By Shirley Stoffer He appears at most of the major Hawaiian music events on the island of Hawai‘i and neighboring islands, playing slack key guitar and singing in his sweet, nahenahe style. He shares traditional Hawaiian music at music festivals…
The Road Less Traveled—Destination: Diane Renchler’s Toulouce Gallery
By Jessica Kirkwood When traveling up the Hamākuā coast I often I often turn makai (towards the ocean) off the main highway, just seven miles north of Hilo, in favor of the old Māmalahoa’s four-mile scenic route. Each time I…
Why Values? And Why “Manage with Aloha?”
Be true to your values.” It’s advice you’re likely to hear several times in your lifetime, and read in countless books and articles. What does it mean? Looking at it through the lens of ALOHA, it means, “Manifest your spirit…
Every Store Has a Story: K. Takata Store in Hawi
By Hadley Catalano Shiro Takata had no interest in working in his father’s grocery, K. Takata Store, during his childhood in North Kohala in the 1930s and 40s. He’d much rather play sports outside, and as the fourth son of…
A Journey Through Light and Stone: The Art and Architecture of John Wallis
By John J. Boyle A Place to Breathe in the Light The art of creating a space for a place to live suggests an attention to placement, form, and strength of materials. In designing for Hawai‘i, engineering and traditional construction…
A Brief History of Whales in Hawai‘i
By Peter T. Young The koholā (humpback whale) was well known to the early Hawaiians. In the Kumulipo chant—the Hawaiian chant of creation—the Second Era speaks of the birth of the whale: “Hanau ka palaoa noho I kai”—born is the whale…
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…
Waiho‘olu‘u: The Ancient Practice of Natural Dye Making with the Kukui Tree
By Renée Robinson In Hawai‘i the kukui tree, distinctive in its pale green, silvery foliage, is a symbol of enlightenment, protection, and peace. Kukui (also known as candlenut) was a canoe plant. Its seeds were brought to Hawai‘i by the…
Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery: Hawaii Adds Second Marine Facility to Protect One of Its Rarest Mammals
By Denise Laitinen In 2009 when KP2 (Kauai Pup 2), an orphaned Hawaiian monk seal in waters off Moloka‘i needed medical attention, he was transported roughly 2,500 miles to the University of California Santa Cruz Long Marine Laboratory for care…
Dan DeLuz: A Special Man Who Embodied the Hawaiian Spirit of Sharing Graciously
By Tiffany DeEtte Shafto A wave of grief swept through Hawai‘i’s woodworking community as news of the passing of a beloved mentor, friend, and master woodturner, made its way along the coconut wireless. Dan DeLuz inspired a generation of woodworkers…
Loulu Palm Is On The Rebound
By Barbara Fahs The Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook doesn’t have a big neon sign that brags about its ongoing conservation efforts. Instead, Manager Peter Van Dyke and his small crew of helpers quietly go about the…
Mana in a Sacred Place: Keauhou Beach Resort ‘Ohana
By Marya Mann One of the last hula performances at the Keauhou Beach Resort appears before us, spellbinding and alluring. In his soothing baritone, Kumu Keala Ching chants the genealogical history of this powerful place, where kings and queens, leaders…
The Goddess and the Artist: Pele Dreaming
By Gayle Kaleilehua Greco At first glance, you wonder, are her eyes open or closed? Is she smiling or pensive? Is it lava flow or ocean? That is the mystery of MaryAnn Hylton’s casting of “Pele Dreaming.” The image of…
Freeing Willy, Hawaiian Style: Hawai‘i Island’s Whale Entanglement Response Network
By Cynthia Sweeney More than 10,000 humpback whales migrate to the Hawaiian Islands each year, mostly from Alaska, to give birth. And it is estimated that 30 percent of those whales, adults as well as calves—have been entangled in fishing…
Then & Now: The Mysterious Death of David Douglas
By Robert Oaks Most residents and visitors to Hawaiʽi Island are familiar with the Kealakekua Bay monument marking the spot where Captain James Cook was killed in 1779. Less familiar is a monument that marks the spot where David Douglas,…
Hali‘a ke Kumu Hala
Na Kumu Keala Ching Kaulana ke kumu hala o Puna, ‘o Puna wahi paia ‘ala i ka hala laha‘ole. Eia ka hali‘a ke kumu hala o Puna, ‘a‘ohe hala ‘ula i ka pō ala. He ‘i‘ini ka lehua me ka…
Anela Strings: Angel Music by Timeless Troubadours
By Marya Mann A Live Concert It’s just after sunset and Kristin Aria Shaw’s graceful fingers are dancing on her Celtic harp. Irminsul’s long hair billows in a soft breeze coming off the sea as his body vibrates with arpeggio…
Immerse Yourself in Art: The Paradise Studio Tours
By Noel Morata The concept of creating open studio tours in Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) originated between Karen Hagen and Patti Datlof, pottery and cement artists, creating unusual and very colorful cement-based sculpture and objects. “After schlepping heavy concrete crafts…
A Breath of Fresh Air—Lena Naipo and Kahulanui
By Shirley Stoffer Aloha, Hawaiian music fans! Remember the excitement you felt the first time you heard the sweet harmonies of the group, Hui ‘Ohana? Or when you first heard the banjo, fiddle, and dobro on Peter Moon’s Sunday Manoa…
Getting Back to Hawaiian Roots: Perpetuate Native Culture With Your Landscaping
By Denise Laitinen When you think about landscaping your yard, your thoughts are probably along the lines of what plants will look pretty, what will grow, and how easy it will be to maintain. You’re probably not thinking about perpetuating…
Natural Plant Medicine is Everywhere You Look
By Barbara Fahs You already know about them. Those dandelions you struggle to keep out of your lawn? Medicinal. The persistent weeds in your vegetable garden? Many of them have uses as medicine. Even some “weeds” that grow on bare…
“Beetle Juice” Inoculates Kona Coffee Against Coffee Beetle Borer
By Margaret Kearns Greenwell is a name synonymous with Kona coffee in Hawai‘i with patriarch Henry Nicholas Greenwell lauded as the marketing genius who put the region’s highly-sought brew on connoisseurs’ radar worldwide more than 150 years ago. Greenwell, a…
Every Store has its Story: Holy’s Bakery in Kapa‘au
By Hadley Catalano It’s pie day at Holy’s Bakery in Kapa‘au, where handmade empty pie shells, stacked high on baking racks, are waiting to be filled with the Hori family’s signature frozen buttered peach, pear, coconut, and apple pie recipes.…
Whimsical Art and Storyteller Esther Szegedy
By Stephanie Bolton Wide, bright eyes, and dancing vivid colors… am I describing her artwork or Esther, herself? Upon meeting for lunch at the Holuakoa Gardens and Cafe one Saturday afternoon, I had the pleasure of learning some of the…
Music Rocks Her World: Quack Moore and Her Beloved Palace Theater
By Paula Thomas The Palace Theater is a vintage and singular jewel on the Hilo landscape. Located on Haili Street just off the bayfront, the theater is undergoing steady restoration and refurbishment. Overseeing the transformation from “deteriorating” to “shabby chic”…
Calvin Cerrone: Kona Pre-Teen Bodyboarder Making Waves
By Denise Laitinen Calvin Cerrone is not your typical pre-teen. While most 12-year-old boys are glued to video game consoles, Calvin has been winning bodyboarding competitions around the state and racking up sponsors faster than you can say “barrel roll.”…
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…
Makahiki—Codes for Regeneration
By Marya Mann Excitement filled all the hearts. It was a November night before Makahiki, around the time of the new moon, and the faint group of white-blue stars, the Pleiades, was about to rise in the east, signaling the…
Then & Now: The Kohala Ditch
By Robert Oaks For over a century, like the other Hawaiian Islands, Hawai‘i Island depended heavily on sugar cane as a major component of its economy. The story of how sugar barons controlled the Kingdom, Territory, and State of Hawai‘i…
Ka Wehena: Pono Ke Ola Pono
Na Kumu Keala Ching E Ka Lani ē E ka lani ē, e ho‘olono mai ‘oe Chief, hear me deeply E ka lani ē, e alaka‘i mai ‘oe Chief, guide me always E ka lani ē, e ho‘ōla mai ‘oe…
