Connecting cultures: Kulāiwi, Kaumakaiwa celebrate Pacific, Māori unity through music

A renowned Pacific musical group aiming to uplift Kānaka Maoli expresses their admiration for Aotearoa as a source of inspiration and a reaffirmation of ancestral ties.

Kulāiwi and Kaumakaiwa from Hawaii took centre stage at the Auckland Arts Festival’s debut Indigenous Music series, which wrapped up over the weekend.

The group comprises award-winning performers, singers, and cultural leaders who connect Native Hawaiians to ‘āina (land) through mele (song). Their “soaring vocals, island harmonies, folk vibe, and engaging storytelling have earned them four Hawaiian Grammys, including Group of the Year for their debut album, Native Lands.

As part of the inaugural Indigenous Music Series at the Auckland Arts Festival, they performed from Wednesday to Saturday at Artworks Theatre on Waiheke Island, Te Oro Music and Arts Centre, Māngere Arts Centre Ngā Tohu o Uenuku, and the Spiegel Tent in Aotea Square.

Speaking with Inangaro Vakaafi on Island Time, musician Shawn Kekoa Pimental from O’ahu, Hawaii, says there are lessons to learn from Aotearoa and “our Māori brothers and sisters”.

“Through language rights, land rights, water rights, especially modelling our Pūnana Leo (language nests) classes after Kōhanga Reo (Māori preschool),” Pimental says.

“So there's so many things that we learn from you folks. We feel like we turn to you folks to continue this journey together as Polynesian nations to help support each other.”

Kaumakaiwa Kanaka‘ole, an acclaimed vocalist from the renowned Kanaka‘ole family in Hilo, Hawaii, emphasises the importance of “re-establishing those connections” across Oceania.

“It helps us to re-establish our Pasifika, the idea of Oceania and all of our archipelagos of Polynesia being one singular and simultaneous community,” Kanaka’ole says.

Watch Kulāiwi and Kaumakaiwa's full interview on Facebook below.

Sharing stories through mele

Group member Lehua Kalima Alvarez from Moku o Keawe, Hawaii, says that sharing stories is key to addressing the universal challenges facing Indigenous people.

Pimental says their mele and pule (prayers) are especially relevant in today’s climate. They strive to extend their aha (ceremony) beyond sacred spaces to normalise and promote acceptance of Kānaki Maoli culture.

Alvarez says this motivation drives the group to share their stories through song with “people all over the world”.

“We all have very similar stories to share. We've all had our histories, each have different ones, but there is a very common bond amongst them,” Alvarez says.

“Being able to share our stories, to receive other people's stories and to know we are not alone - that we are stronger together.

“Hopefully, this can bind us together and we can find common ground and understanding and compassion for each other. That’s what will make our lives so much richer and just better for the world in general.”