Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 4, 1 April 2004 — Hewett's latest CD highlights importance of storytelling [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hewett's latest CD highlights importance of storytelling

By Manu Boyd ~~W~ "W~ aving just landed at LAX, he heads down I— I a California freeway through smog and

-K. Atraffic, picks up his eell

phone and dial home some — 2,000 miles away. What's \ on his mind? Hawaiian tra- \ ditions, his mo'opuna, his \ latest (and favorite) record- \ ing, and the peaee, tranquility and inspiration of Kaua'i and Ni'ihau. Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett is a composer, per former. kumu hula. cultura

resource, family man and avid \ traveler. But trips to California \

and Japan are rarely - if ever - L ' —

for vacation. Hewett advises a number of hālau abroad and shares his teachings with various kumu hula. For more than 25 years, Hewett has lead his own hālau hula in

\ Windward O'ahu, Kūhai Hālau O \ Kawaikapuokalani Pā 'Ōlapa \ Kahiko from whieh he has gradu- \ ated a new generation of teachers.

Aside from his rigorous kahiko stylings, Hewett is noted for his catchy original tunes, many of whieh have been performed by his hālau, including such stan- \ dards as "Halalu" about the \ 'ono fish delicacy mixed with \ limu kohu and just the right _J amount of ehili pepper, and the haunting "Ka Wai Lehua

'A'ala Ka Honua" whieh mingles rain, the oeean and lehua blossoms, originally recorded in

the early 80s by the Brothers Caz. A number of mele recalling akua wahine were penned by Hewett including "Poli'ahu" for the snow goddess of Mauna Kea originally recorded by Hewett's cousin Teresa Bright; and "Hōpoe," the tragic story about Hi'iaka's closest friend eonsumed in fire due to Pele's rage, recorded by Loyal Garner and the Mākaha Sons. In Mo 'o 'ōlelo, Hewett focuses his attention on Kaua'i and Ni'ihau to whieh connects genealogically on his father's side. The opening cut, "Kaua'i Hemolele i ka Mālie" represents a hō'ailona or divine sign he received a dozen years ago. "I was going to take a job on Kaua'i but wasn't sure if it was right. 'Do I belong here?' I asked. I went out to Kē'ē at Hā'ena to pule. After I prayed, I turned to the oeean and saw honu (turSee MO'O'ŌLELO on page 19

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MO'O'ŌLELO from page 10 tles) close to shore looking up toward me. And there were several rainbows over the oeean. I knew then that it was Pono. I wrote that song right there, words and music," said Hewett. Over the past several years, Hewett has directed lū'au shows on both Kaua'i and Maui, yet he maintained his Kāne'ohe residence. His career over the years has taken him from solo dancing gigs with Olomana in the 1970s to his current post as kahuna ho'ōla at the Waimānalo Health Center. All of Hewett's endeavor have touched on Hawaiian culture, something he handles very seriously. "We are missing the stories, the mo'o'ōlelo, of our kūpuna. Their knowledge is continued through story telling. When I was young, information was shared with me by my elders. I didn't know what it was for or when it would eome out. At this point, now that I have my own mo'opuna (grandchildren), it's my responsibility to continue that tradition of sharing stories," he said. "Mo'o'ōlelo" represents a succession of stories shared over time with Hewett, and is the first in a series of recordings. Cousins Dwight Kanae and Hōkū Zuttermeister are featured, and long-time musical associates Jerry Santos of Olomana and Lorna Lim of the noted Kohala musical 'ohana. "Of all the albums I've done, this was the first one where I could do exactly what I wanted. I created this for me," he said. "There is a lot of disconnect today because we are missing the stories of our kūpuna. We favor other traditions today, but the mo'o'ōlelo of those gone before us are what connects us with our past. This one is for the keiki, for the mo'opuna," he said. On the horizon for Hewett is a fol-low-up recording continuing the Mo'o'ōlelo series, and preparation for his annual hō'ike concert in August at Castle High School Theater. ■