Ke kāhuli leo leʻa o ka nahele

Museum After Hours
Friday, May 9, 2025
5 – 9 p.m.
Locations: Hawaiian Hall Complex & Gallery Lawns

 
ʻŌlelo Noʻeau1717
Ke kāhuli leo leʻa o ka nahele.
The sweet-voiced kāhuli landshell of the forest.
[A compliment to a sweet-voiced person.]

In May, as we continue our monthly celebration of Mary Kawena Pukui’s legacy, five contemporary haku mele gather inside Bishop Museum’s Hawaiian Hall to share their creative process inspired by the compositions of Mrs. Pukui. Each haku mele will highlight a beloved Pukui composition of their choice. Featured presenters: Cy Bridges, Puakea Nogelmeier, Hailama Farden, Charles Albert Manuʻaikohana Boyd, and Kenneth Makuakāne.

Program timeline
5:45 p.m. Opening
6 p.m. Cy Bridges
6:30 p.m. Puakea Nogelmeier
7 p.m. Hailama Farden
7:30 p.m. Charles Albert Manuʻaikohana Boyd
8 p.m. Kahu Kenneth Makuakāne

In partnership with the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, Bishop Museum invites you to celebrate the life, work, and enduring legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui, a foundational pillar of Hawaiian knowledge and cultural revitalization. Throughout 2025, our Nānā i ke Kumu Series will offer monthly programs that highlight Mrs. Pukui’s unparalleled contributions to ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, moʻolelo, hula, mele, and the perpetuation of ʻike kupuna.

Mrs. Pukui’s dedication laid the foundation for the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s and continues to inspire today’s movements to advance Kanaka identity and independence. The Nānā i ke Kumu Series invites practitioners, scholars, students, and the broader community to engage in Mrs. Pukui’s works, exploring the ʻike kupuna she documented as a guide for addressing contemporary challenges.

Please check back throughout the year as we announce the full slate of programming in this special tribute to Mrs. Pukui’s enduring legacy.

PRESENTER BIOS

Cy Bridges is a respected Hawaiian cultural practitioner known for his deep expertise in hula, chant, genealogy, history, and Hawaiian song composition. Raised in Hauʻula, he is the great-great-grandson of Kuluwaimaka, a famed court chanter of the Kamehameha dynasty, and a relative of Mary Kawena Pukui through ʻohana ties.

With over 45 years at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Lāʻie, including service as Cultural Director, he co-founded the hālau hula Hui Hoʻoulu Aloha. A skilled composer and chanter, Bridges has helped preserve and perpetuate traditional Hawaiian music and oli. He received the first Nāmakahelu Oli award in 2017, has judged the Merrie Monarch Hula Competition, and represented Hawaiʻi in several Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture delegations. He also serves on the board of the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society.

Puakea Nogelmeier is a distinguished linguist of the Hawaiian language, kumu hula, and composer renowned for his contributions to Hawaiian song composition and language revitalization. A Professor Emeritus at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, he has dedicated decades to preserving and promoting Hawaiian culture through education, research, and the arts. His compositions, including “Ka Nohona Pili Kai” and “Bumbye,” have garnered multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, including Song of the Year and the Haku Mele Award for best new Hawaiian-language composition.

In 2021, Nogelmeier received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts, joining fellow honoree and dear friend Patience “Pat” Namaka Bacon. Both have significantly impacted Hawaiian music and culture, and their recognition together underscores their shared contributions to the field.

Hailama Farden is a respected Native Hawaiian educator, cultural leader, and the Senior Director of Hawaiian Cultural Affairs at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, he earned a BA in Hawaiian Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Phoenix. His career includes over three decades at Kamehameha Schools, where he served in various roles such as Community Strategist and Hawaiian language instructor. Farden has also held leadership positions in organizations like the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and ʻAhahui ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, and was honored as a Living Treasure of Hawaiʻi in 2018.

Hailama Farden is the great-nephew of Irmgard Farden Aluli, affectionately known as “Auntie Irmgard,” who was one of Hawaiʻi’s most prolific female composers, creating over 400 songs that have become staples in Hawaiian music. Her compositions, such as “Puamana,” reflect deep familial and cultural ties. Aluli collaborated with Mary Kawena Pukui, who provided Hawaiian lyrics and translations for several of Aluli’s compositions, including “Laupāhoehoe Hula.” This partnership exemplified a fusion of musical talent and scholarly expertise, contributing significantly to the preservation and celebration of Hawaiian culture.

Charles Albert Manuʻaikohana Boyd is a distinguished Hawaiian cultural practitioner, educator, and composer dedicated to preserving and promoting Hawaiian traditions. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, Boyd has contributed significantly to Hawaiian culture through various roles, including as a cultural consultant for Kamehameha Schools and as the cultural director of the Royal Hawaiian Center at Helumoa. As a kumu hula, Boyd founded Hālau o ke ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani in 1997, leading the hālau to first-place honors at the Merrie Monarch Festival in 2012. He is also a prolific haku mele (composer), known for his original compositions that blend traditional Hawaiian themes with contemporary styles. His solo album, Mele ʻAilana, showcases his versatility as a composer and performer. Boyd’s contributions to Hawaiian music and culture have been recognized with multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards and a Grammy nomination. Through his work in education, performance, and composition, Charles Manu Boyd continues to inspire and uplift Hawaiian culture, ensuring its vitality for future generations.

Kenneth Makuakāne is a celebrated Hawaiian musician, composer, producer, and cultural ambassador whose work has deeply shaped contemporary Hawaiian music. A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, he has produced over 200 albums and written more than 1,500 songs, many featured at the Merrie Monarch Festival and in films like Honeymoon in Las Vegas.

His music has been recorded by artists such as Nā Leo Pilimehana, Amy Hānaiali‘i Gilliom, and Raiatea Helm. A founding member of The Pandanus Club, Makuakāne has earned 24 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, including Producer of the Year and Song of the Year for “I Miss You, My Hawai‘i.” In 2018, he became the senior pastor of historic Kawaiahaʻo Church in Honolulu. In 2023, he was honored with an ʻŌʻō Award for his contributions to the Native Hawaiian community. Through his music and cultural leadership, Makuakāne continues to inspire and preserve Hawaiian heritage.