The Music of Kalaupapa
Performers will pay tribute to Kalaupapa musicians, composers
A virtual concert to help raise funds to build the Kalaupapa Memorial will be presented at 1 p.m. Oct. 17, with Brother Noland, Melveen Leed, Stephen Inglis, Kevin Brown and Lopaka Ho‘opi‘i paying tribute to the often-forgotten musicians and composers of the remote Molokai settlement.
Signed by President Barack Obama in 2009, the Kalaupapa Memorial Act authorized the nonprofit Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa to establish a memorial listing the names of those who were sent to the peninsula because of government policies regarding leprosy, now called Hansen’s disease — around 8,000 in total.
“The memorial will keep the memories of the Kalaupapa community alive and will provide a place for future generations of ohana to gather and honor their ancestors,” explained Valerie Monson, executive director of Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa and co-author of the book, “Ili Na Ho‘omana‘o o Kalaupapa — Casting Remembrances of Kalaupapa.”
The memorial is designed as two overlapping circles, with a larger circle bordered by a rock wall bearing the names of the 8,000 people sent to the settlement and a smaller circle representing the families connected to Kalaupapa. It will overlook a field believed to contain nearly 2,000 unmarked graves.
Construction of the memorial will cost $5 million, and Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa plans to raise $5 million as an endowment to care for the memorial in the future. The nonprofit hopes to collect $100,000 from the virtual concert.
“This is our kickoff for fundraising for the memorial,” said Monson. “I’ve had the idea for many years to do a concert of music of Kalaupapa and musicians who haven’t got credit over the years. There are a number of virtual concerts going on, but we think this one will be different because it’s not only about music, but it’s about remembering musicians whose contributions have pretty much been forgotten and learning about the songs and how the songs came to be.”
Among the songs performed during “The Music of Kalaupapa” con
cert, Inglis will play “Eia ae o Damiana, Ka Makua O Kakou (Here’s to Damien, the Father of us All).” Monson said it was one of the most heartwarming songs composed at Kalaupapa that was almost lost to history.
“It was written by the boys of Kalawao in the early 1880s to honor Father Damien, who was especially concerned about the well-being of the children who were sent to Kalaupapa alone,” she said. “This song was often sung by the boys on important occasions during that time, but had been forgotten for more than 100 years until the unpublished memoirs of Kalaupapa leader Ambrose Hutchison were gaining attention.”
As a young child Inglis spent weekends at the Hale Mohalu hospital in Pearl City with his parents
helping to care for Hansen’s disease patients. By the 1970s, Hale Mohalu had become a gathering place for activists concerned about dignity for Hansen’s patients and Hawaiian rights.
“A treatment hospital for Hansen’s disease patients, Hale Mohalu became a real melting pot for the Hawaiian Renaissance,” Inglis explained. “My parents became very active in native rights, and that was our church every Sunday with music all day. It shaped my childhood in a wonderful way.”
A renowned slack key guitarist, Inglis would fly to Molokai and visit friends in the settlement.
“I started going to Kalaupapa in 2006, after I moved back from California,” he continued. “It was an
amazing experience to go down there regularly and share music.”
Inglis wrote several songs during those visits and began work on a Kalaupapa-themed album to honor the late composer/activist Bernard Punikai‘a’s music. Including Punikai‘a’s songs “Kalaupapa My Hometown” and “Hale Mohalu,” he invited the late Hawaiian legend Dennis Kamakahi to guest on the recording.
After hearing Inglis’ composition “Na Pua O Kalaupapa (The Flowers of Kalaupapa),” Kamakahi suggested they record a duet tribute album. The project had deep meaning for Kamakahi, who had played at Kalaupapa with the Sons of Hawaii, and both musicians were close with Punikai‘a.
“He stayed up all night writing the song ‘Waimaka Helelei,’ recounting his last time down at Kalaupapa in the late ’70s,” said Inglis.
The resulting album, “Waimaka Helelei (Falling Tears),” won the 2012 Na Hoku Award for Slack Key Album of the Year. On permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the CD includes “Eia ae o Damiana, Ka Makua O Kakou.”
“Music has always been rich in the history of Kalaupapa,” Inglis noted. “An in-person concert was out of the question, so why not do a virtual one? We’re blessed to have some incredible artists involved.”
Maui’s Kevin Brown will perform Kamakahi’s song “Waimaka Helelei” at the concert. Other compositions include “Baby Pakalana” by Helen Keao, which Leed will sing. Leed recorded the song on her “Hawaiian Country” album released in 1975.
Raised on Maui, Keao was sent to Kalaupapa in 1942 at the age of 16.
“Helen Keao was an elegant woman, a talented songwriter and historian who refused to believe many of the old myths about Kalaupapa,” Monson explained. “‘Baby Pakalana’ was written about the thick pakalana vine behind her home and its rich fragrance.”
Brown will also perform “Wai O Keaniani,” a favorite song of his uncle, Clarence Naia, who was born in Kalaupapa, but raised by his grandmother on Maui. Naia was later admitted to Hale Mohalu in 1951 and went back to Kalaupapa a few months later. He became a human rights activist, standing up for the rights of people affected by Hansen’s disease and for Hawaiian rights, working closely with Punikai‘a in the movement to save Hale Mohalu.
The concert will close with all the musicians singing “Hawai‘i Aloha.”
“We thought this was the perfect way to end the afternoon celebrating the people of Kalaupapa,” said Monson. “We hope all at home will sing along, and if you are with someone or your family, please hold hands and send your aloha
to Kalaupapa.”
Monson said future plans include a book about Kalaupapa’s musicians and hopefully a live concert next year, which will be recorded.
“The Music of Kalaupapa” virtual concert may be watched on Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa’s Facebook page and Inglis’ YouTube channel. Billy V will
emcee the event. Donations may be made on the Facebook page and the website at www.kalaupapaohana.org/.
To produce this concert, Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa received assistance from CARES Act funding made possible by the Hawaii Council for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.