April 13, 2009
Contributed by Thomas Yoshida
Written by Taupōuri Tangarō, Ph.D., Lele Kawa is based on generations of ancestral connections and years of immersion in the fiery 'aiha'a dances of the hula Pele.
"Lele Kawa is a personal validation to the traditional knowledge processes of Hawai'i," said Taupōuri Tangarō. "It's about the process of experience, the kind of experience that is not topical or surface but is from the core, the very center of being. Lele Kawa is about allowing the spirit to guide."
Lele Kawa will be available at the Merrie Monarch Craft Fair in the Kamehameha Publishing booth in the Butler building, on site of the Edith Kanaka'ole Tennis Stadium, in Hilo. The craft fair will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Wednesday, April 15, 2009, through Saturday, April 18, 2009. Taupōuri Tangarō will be available on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 1 p.m. to sign books.
Lele Kawa will be offered at a special discount at the Merrie Monarch Craft Fair and will be available online at www.kamehamehapublishing.org. Online shoppers can receive a 25 percent discount on all of Kamehameha Publishing's titles during the week of Merrie Monarch by using the coupon code "hula" at check out.
"Tangarō's original translations and provocative interpretations are a tremendous resource for hula practitioners and others seeking a deeper understanding of the 45 mele he presents," said Kēhaunani Abad, Ph.D., director of Kamehameha Publishing. "Adding to the experience is the amazing skill and passion you can hear in his voice."
Readers may log onto www.kamehamehapublishing.org to stream audio files of the mele contained in Lele Kawa.
Tangarō has a long been a member of Hālau O Kekuhi. He received his Doctor of Philosophy from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, Ohio in 2004. He lives in Pana'ewa, Hawai'i with his wife, Kekuhi, and five children.
Kamehameha Publishing supports Kamehameha Schools' mission by publishing and distributing Hawaiian language, culture, and community-based materials that engage learners as well as reinforce, and invigorate Hawaiian cultural vitality. For more information, visit www.kamehamehapublishing.org.
Kamehameha Schools’ policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
