Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 2, 1 February 2003 — Moloka'i's falsetto sweetheart is Raiatea Helm [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Moloka'i's falsetto sweetheart is Raiatea Helm

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By Manu Boyd Nieee of the Moloka'i falsetto legend George Jarrett Helm, 18-year-old Raiatea Helm, who was born years after her uncle's tragic passing, proudly follows in his footsteps, musically speaking "I don't know mueh about him except that he was so awesome," Raiatea beamed. "His vocal style was unique, and he was very intelligent. He always told the story about the songs he sang," she said. "He was also an activist, and always looked out for Hawaiians." Her father, Zachary Helm, George's junior by one year, also touts falsetto talent, and has been performing for years. "When I was in my Mom, she used to listen to dad sing. Maybe that's how I got it," she joked about her subliminal pre-natal contact with Hawaiian music. But according to Raiatea, it wasn't until three years ago that she really got a jolt of inspiration. "I was watching the hō'ike on the Kamehameha

Schools Song Contest where my brother went to school. Nina Keali'iwa-

hamana sang 'Pua Tuberose.' I fell in love

with her voice Beautiful! I decided tc give singing and 'ukulele a try." Though many eompare the young Moloka'i songstress to the legendary Aunty Genoa Keawe, Helm first got to know her by buying a eouple of | CDs. When Keawe herself ^ had a ehanee to hear Helm a eouple of

years ago, she said, "You've got to

practice a lot." Nearly two years later at a performance at

Ka'anapali, Keawe again heared Raiatea sing. "She told me, 'See, you good now.

You practiced." The » Keawe signature, "'Ālika," is Helm's favorite . Last fall, Helm released her debut recording, "Raiatea, Far Away Heaven." Described as "a youthful twist on Hawai'i's traditional favorites, Helm presents classics like " 'Alekoki" and "Kauoha Mai" and new tunes including John Ka'imikaua's tribute to Moloka'i, "Kaulana 'O Kapuaiwa" and a Frank Hewett

see RAIATEA on page 18

RAIATEA from page 1 1 tune, "He 'e 'ia ." "I like 'Kauoha Mai' the best because it talks about getting back at guys, players," she laughed. "Oh, and I like the beat, too." Raiatea's affinity to hula music is no doubt reflective of her years of training on Moloka'i by Penny Paleka, Kanani Brighter and Moana Dudoit. It is with Moana's Hula Hālau that Helm experienced the Menie Monarch hula competition and travels to Japan. "Aunty Moana really helped me with" stage presence," said Raiatea, who looks as comfortable on stage at Hawai'i Theatre as she does at the wharf on Moloka'i. What is overnight fame like for a petite wahine from the "Friendly Isle"? "I feel pretty good about it, and

need to get to O'ahu so more,people ean get to know my lnusic. But fdr" now,fiuy the CD, okay?" she joked. For such a young artist, her performance and promotion schedule has increased so mueh with upcoming trips to Japan and Washington that she had to trim her sched.ul§ to ju?i one cfa'ss at Maui Community College, and as she put it, "I'm taking Hawaiian, of course." Raialea is the youngest of 1firee children (the only girl) of Zack and Etta Helm. "I'm also the youngest of all my cousins in my generation. I'm the baby." "I plan to start anqjh^C the summer. Maybe I'U do songs record6d,^ Uhēie J.ārrett (George). My favorite is 'Kakig$M \& she pondered. "Maybe we ean do iikp-ho;w NTptahe^Golei-clid with her dad, Nat King Cqle in ^nJ0_gettabl^ she laughed. ■ 'iCti ' ' ?• i ■ ,.'Vf V 'J- '% '