For three Kamehameha Schools Kapālama alumni, the annual May Day concert tradition brings with it an added layer of pride and responsibility as award-winning musical trio Keauhou is handed the torch – or in this case, the lei.
The May Day tradition will take the next step in its legacy Wednesday from 3-9 p.m. at the Hawai‘i Convention Center as a star-studded concert will honor the past, while also giving the highly anticipated celebration a refreshed look and feel. The “Hawaiian Airlines May Day 2019: The Tradition Continues” event will feature headlining group Keauhou, an ensemble of Jonah Kahanuola Solatorio and brothers Nicholas and Zachary Lum.
Robert Cazimero, a KS Kapālama graduate and world-renowned kumu hula and mele, has a special place in his heart for May Day as so many powerful memories help keep the seasonal spirit alive and thriving.
“Name me a culture where you give a flower lei – that’s ours,” said Cazimero. “It started for us, by us, here in Hawai‘i; recognized by someone from the outside looking in and wanting to create a day on which you can live this legendary part of our culture.”
Cazimero and his Hālau Nā Kamalei o Līlīlehua will perform hula, and attendees will also be treated to performances from Kahulanui and the KS Concert Glee Club, as well as the hula of Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua under the direction of Kumu Hula Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla.
“May Day provides a once-in-a-year opportunity for us to celebrate something as simple yet profound as lei,” says Zachary Lum, who is guiding haumāna at KS Kapālama as the choral director. “In this one poignant thought, we get to hold this huge concert for this lei, and see an intersection between tourism and our culture in a way that isn’t compromising. It is a celebration, and it’s important not only for us as people who celebrate significant Hawaiian cultural events, but also for the larger community.
“We’re privileged and happy to be the hosts for this year, but this is not Keauhou’s May Day; it’s May Day, and we’re excited to see where it goes.”
The revitalized May Day concert signifies a “passing of the lei,” from kumu to haumāna as Cazimero and Keauhou work diligently to blend entertainment, culture and history.
“It’s overwhelming, and it makes me very happy and proud. Such has been my life of encouraging young things to grow in helping our Hawaiian culture take its rightful place in a world with so many beautiful cultures,” says Cazimero of the May Day concert experience. “I’m looking forward to Keauhou taking that kuleana (responsibility) of passing on the culture for years to come. When I think about Keauhou, it represents a fresh start, while also carrying on the knowledge and traditions of our past.”
May Day celebrations in Hawai‘i can be traced back to the first lei contest held on May 1, 1928, referred to as Lei Day. Don Blanding, originally from Oklahoma, came to Hawaiʻi in 1915 after seeing a play in Kansas City called “The Bird of Paradise” that depicted a romantic – and completely fictional – Hawaiʻi. In 1927, Blanding and a fellow Honolulu Star-Bulletin newspaper writer Grace Tower Warren came up with the idea of honoring the tradition of the lei, which, they thought, appeared to be in decline and in need of a revival. The first Lei Day was held on May 1, 1928 and was a resounding success and included a lei competition in which the flower strands were judged based on the appropriate use of flowers and island colors as designated in 1923 by Hawaiʻi’s Territorial Legislature’s Joint Resolution 1.
Cazimero notes that he and his “gang” initially started performing at May Day brunch celebrations that incorporated music and recognized those who had crafted beautiful lei that would be showcased throughout the day. The performance became so popular that, in 1977, the Brothers Cazimero – Robert and his brother Roland, who passed away in 2017 – held May Day concerts under the stars at the iconic Waikīkī Shell for a remarkable 30-year run.
“We haven’t been to a May Day concert at the Shell that Robert and Roland were singing at, but we see all the videos and hear the stories of how great it used to be, so it’s amazing to be given that opportunity to carry that torch and the tradition,” says Solatorio, an ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i kumu at KS Kapālama. “Especially from someone who we respect in Robert Cazimero, who has done so much for the Hawaiian language, hula and music. We’re going to work hard to fulfil that task and holomua (improve, progress).”
As Cazimero recalls, “The Brothers Cazimero were part of the May Day Concert for 30 years. We went through a period of renaissance, rebirth and re-understanding, and it was an obvious choice that Keauhou would be the ones to carry it on and do the good work in the way so many of us would want to see it. We’re appreciative to have so many sponsors that allows us to keep Hawai‘i so touchable, huggable and real.”
The historical context and importance of May Day across multiple generations is something that Keauhou considers and holds dear when taking on the responsibility of headlining the concert.
“For me and Zach, because we dance hula with Kumu Robert, we hear all these stories from our hula brothers about how fun May Day was, and what a huge party it became,” says Nicholas Lum. “It was a great time for everyone to get together and share a moment. Unfortunately, because we’re young, we didn’t get to experience that. It’s our kuleana to provide that experience for our generation and create happy moments for those who may not have been able to see the Brothers Cazimero perform.”
For more from Keauhou, listen to their appearance on Ka Piko Podcast.
On February 13, 2019, the Honolulu City Council recognized Keauhou for its dedication to perpetuating the Native Hawaiian culture and music for generations to come. After receiving the honor, Keauhou performed for councilmembers and those in attendance in the Council Chambers at Honolulu Hale.
Keauhou means “The new/renewed generation.” The group was named by KS Kona, O‘ahu Regional Director Hailama Farden while performing in front of a wa‘a (canoe) on display in high school at the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Midkiff Learning Center. The vessel is named Makani Hou o Keauhou, or “The New Wind of Keauhou.” The canoe – a symbol of Hawaiian skill, talent and creativity – was built from a koa log from a forest like this in Keauhou on Hawai‘i island.
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