05/10/2021

Kumu hula and award-winning musician Manu Boyd shares some of his favorite mele Hawaiʻi in our new series, Mele Hoʻoheno – Cherished Songs. We invite you to join him (along with some very special guests) as he explores the meaning and significance of each song while offering personal memories, reflections, and anecdotes that help bring the story to life. We begin with “Nani Heʻeia,” a composition that was written by Boyd as part of the Kamehameha Schools’ 125th anniversary and featured in the 2012 Song Contest celebrating ʻāina Pauahi, KS’ land legacy. E nanea mai!

04/28/2021

While Rapa Nui’s statuesque sky-gazing moai reflect a compelling historical past, this episode focuses on the dynamic people of Rapa Nui today and how they are eyeing the future. We begin with the Matariki Festival heralding the arrival of the recently built voyaging canoe, Kuini Analola. Then, Sergio Mataʻu Rapu talks about his acclaimed film, “Eating Up Easter,” which addresses complex issues like the disposal of tons of offshore garbage, the social, economic, and environmental impacts of tourism, and the efforts to strengthen Rapanui culture and lifestyle. Vibrant images recount Hōkūleʻa’s 2017 landfall, and we visit Toki Rapa Nui, an environmentally-conscious music school built with recycled waste products and featuring a sustainable roof-top garden. Finally, Foundation Ao Tupuna leaders Lynn Rapu Tuki, Maima Rapu Tching Chi Yen, and Ben Matariki Tuki, join Pono Pacific/Kupu co-founder Julianna Haunani Rapu Leong to share both the negative and positive effects of Rapa Nui’s Covid-19 shutdown.

04/30/2021

Join us as we talk to native Rapanui filmmaker Sergio Mataʻu Rapu about his film “Eating Up Easter.” Framed as a cinematic letter to his son, the film explores the tensions within an island community facing the globalizing effects of tourism while trying to protect their culture, identity, and ways of life for future generations. Don’t miss out on this interesting conversation, and hear about some of the decisions behind the making of this film.