Kawika Kahiapo Page 4 Courtesy of Nick Smithcourtesy Nick of | NOVEMBER 2017
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3 - CEO Message 6 - TV Listings 18 - Partner Profile 4 - Cover Story 10 - Evening Grid 17 - Daytime Grid PROGRAM GUIDE NOVEMBER 2017 VOL. 36 NO. 11 Kawika Kahiapo page 4 Courtesy of Nick SmithCourtesy Nick of | NOVEMBER 2017 KĀKOU – Hawai‘i’s Town Hall PBS Hawai‘i hosted our first town hall discussion on Thursday, October 5, broadcast and streamed live. The topic of this first town hall delved into the search for truth in our modern, information-overloaded world. We’ve From left: Steve Petranik, Hoku Subiono, Ian Kitajima, Faye Kennedy, L.P. Neenz Faleafine been receiving lots of reaction – online, over the phone and in person. The general recurring themes in your feedback: the inspiring and thoughtful discussion, the diversity of participants, the need for more town halls, and the well-spoken middle and high school students who held their own with accomplished adults. If you missed this broadcast, you can watch it in full on our website, pbshawaii.org/kakou. KĀKOU – Hawai‘i’s Town Hall participants were asked: “In the bombardment of daily information, how do you know what’s true?” “Do you accept as truth what you want to believe?” Mahalo to Bank of Hawaii Foundation for believing in our young storytellers Bank of Hawaii Foundation recently granted $100,000 in support of HIKI NŌ, PBS Hawai‘i’s statewide student digital media initiative. Bank of Hawaii Foundation’s support of the program dates back to the launch of HIKI NŌ in 2011. Pictured, from left: Leslie Wilcox, PBS Hawai‘i President and CEO; Mary Bitterman, Bank of Hawaii Board of Directors Lead Independent Director; Donna Tanoue, Bank of Hawaii Foundation President; Robert Pennybacker, PBS Hawai‘i Director of Learning Initiatives. pbshawaii.org 2 Solomon Alfapada Top row: Jim Dooley, Ulalia Woodside, Sean-Joseph Choo, Tracy Alambatin, Shayne Shibuya Bottom row: Denby Fawcett, Ryan Ozawa, Burt Lum, Ku‘uipo Kumukahi CEO MESSAGE Different Strokes in Our Hawai‘i Canoe Was it an “Only in Hawai‘i” phenomenon? “So,” he continued, “we started this process in Before the red camera lights signaled the start of last survival mode and, in many ways, we still choose to month’s two-hour live KĀKOU – Hawai‘i’s Town Hall, negotiate our peace every day because we know that our studio chief Jason Suapaia asked the 70 participants we must survive. In a sense, we are the American dream with diverse perspectives to “keep the discussion civil.” come true.” And yet, he believes, “we are probably also He needn’t have worried. The discussion was interesting the most outwardly racist community in the world.” and it got lively, but as it turns out, the participants had Participant Burt Lum, co-host of Hawai‘i Public Radio’s a higher standard than civil. They were polite and even Bytemarks Café, was among several people who went generous. home and kept wrestling with the topic of the discussion, As participant Donne Dawson said afterward, about the idea of truth vs. reality. “I deliberately did not raise my hand a second time He pictured a stadium full of people. even though I had lots more to say because I wanted “There is some degree of shared reality, like the fact more of the diverse group to weigh in.” that you are all watching a football game,” Burt wrote me. PBS Hawai‘i named our new Town Hall program “But for the most part everyone there has their own sense KĀKOU because it means “all of us,” as in: All of us in of reality, a result of inherent being, accumulated these isolated islands – no matter how different – are in experiences and moral compass.” the same canoe. The question up for discussion: “Have Two hours on live TV and live streaming flew by. As we you fact-checked your truth?” signed off, I thought how glad I am to be in the same In reflecting upon the experience, PBS Hawai‘i Board canoe with these fellow Islanders who can directly address Member Aaron Salā wrote: “Probably nowhere else in their differences, don’t pretend to have all of the answers, the world would you get so many different kinds, and and actually listen to each other. colors, of people in the same room at the same time to discuss a series of rather intimate thoughts and beliefs. A hui hou – until next time, Only in Hawai‘i...” He harkened back to plantation times and the exorbitantly long, hard work days. “That drive to survive caused us to figure out how to live together and rather than feign color-blindness (a Leslie Wilcox President and CEO concept that continues to baffle me), we celebrate a PBS Hawai‘i color-consciousness that helps us to really see each other,” Aaron said. 3 | NOVEMBER 2017 Courtesy of Nick SmithCourtesy Nick of COVER STORY Kawika Kahiapo Monday, November 20, 7:30 pm Slack key musician and singer-songwriter Kawika PBS Hawai‘i: How does living on the Windward side Kahiapo is a longtime member of the PBS Hawai‘i influence your music? ‘ohana. In 2008, he wrote the theme song for our “PBS Kawika Kahiapo: Living on the Windward side – how Hawai‘i and You” branding campaign. He then served as can I describe that? Like, I’m in a giant terrarium. [chuckles] a member of our Board of Directors for six years, from The natural beauty, the natural resources with the 2009 through 2015. Kahiapo was also a featured mountains on one side, the ocean on the other, and all performer in the 2013 Pacific Heartbeat presentation, the amazing waterfalls and tributaries. I think sometimes Let’s Play Music! Slack Key with Cyril Pahinui & Friends. we take it all for granted. We get up, we [go] about doing In PBS Hawai‘i’s newest offering of our traditional our daily routine and business, and we drive by a Hawaiian music series, Na Mele, you’ll find Kahiapo waterfall or a mountain, or a coastal shoreline, and it’s performing in our Harry and Jeanette Weinberg just another day. Multimedia Studio. From his wife Laurie and daughter ‘Ālana joining him for hula accompaniment, to photo What is your songwriting process? backdrops and set-pieces inspired by Windward O‘ahu, Okay, so in answering that, I’m going to talk about the studio is transformed into an embodiment of the “Nani Wale Kualoa.” Back in about 1993-94, I had a place he’s called home his entire life. house out in Lā‘ie near the beach. And one day, I had In these excerpts from an interview with Kahiapo this epiphany – I’m going to write a song about my and Jason Suapaia, PBS Hawai‘i’s Vice President of surroundings. East O‘ahu: Kualoa, Punalu‘u, Kahana. Integrated Media Production, a recurring theme emerges I think I penned four different verses in English, and I – how places near and dear to Kahiapo influence his gave it to a cousin of mine, Keao NeSmith, who’s songwriting. Clearly, home is his muse. proficient in mānaleo, ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i from our grandma. He gave me a sort of rude awakening. He says, “I like your poetry, I like how you describe.” But he mentioned the importance of, when you’re singing of specific areas, it’s always good to mention some of the physical, natural elements that surround the area. pbshawaii.org 4 For example, I never knew the name of what we call sudden, I was just flooded with these thoughts and ideas, Chinaman’s Hat is really Mokoli‘i. “Nani wale Kualoa i ka and one-line phrases. 40, 45 minutes. Put the song out lauloa.” The description of that island, that moku sitting there, I sent it to [Cyril] and his wife. They loved it. We at Kualoa. “Punalu‘u i ka holu nape o ka niu” describes a sang it at the video shoot, I released it on a CD a year coconut tree bending in the wind. [The song] also speaks later, and the song pretty much went viral real quick. of Hinano flower, a little flower that’s indicative of the [laughs] area. The specific wind that blows through Kahana is During one of your Na Mele performances, there is a called “Mālualua ki‘i wai.” So, this is what he taught me photo projected behind you, a sunrise over Makapu‘u. about the elements. Can you tell us the story about how you quickly came What was your inspiration behind “Waimanalo”? up with the song you sing during that segment? Obviously, it’s a place, but how did it come about and The photo backdrop by our friend, [set designer] why is that song special to you? Richard Drake, is a depiction of what we Hawaiians When you talk about songwriting, some moments you’ll classically describe as wahipana – places that are struggle for months with something, and then something special to us that have historical significance, cultural will happen where you’ll get inspired. And in the moment, significance. The song I wrote, “Kaulana Makapu‘u,” you can almost describe it as the song is writing itself. basically is reviving the mo‘olelo of the surrounding One day, I got a phone call from Cyril Pahinui, and he area, the two islands in the bay known as Rabbit Island was involved with a location video shoot [for Let’s Play and Bird Island, its traditional names Manana and Music!]. I think the goal for Cyril was to recreate the Kāohikaipu, and Kalapueo, and the surrounding bay backyard jam session that his father Gabby did some area, Kaupō.