Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 2, 1 February 2017 — Hawaiian lmmersion graduate goes to the Grammy's [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian lmmersion graduate goes to the Grammy's

By Francine Kananionapua Murray II hmy gosh! Ithink ī ll'm a nominee!" I IKalaniPe'awoke V E to numerous

^ notifieations on his phone, but eouldn't believe the news. "I eried. I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness, while my other half was videotaping me, saying, 'I'mcapturing you cry because this won't happen again.'" Your first Grammy nomination only happens onee. His debut alhum, "E Walea" was the only Hawaiian music nominated for a Grammy Award in the Regional Roots Alhum category. The next thing Pe'a did was eall his mother and share the good news. His mother introduced him to music at the tender age of 4, and Pe'a wants her there with him on the red carpet in February. As a child Pe'a had a speech impediment, "I used to stammer and stutter so mueh. My mom realized conventional speech therapy would not work." So, she introduced him to music theory and music training, even karaoke. "From that point I realized music would be a part of my ola, my life. Music saved my life. It not only saves lives, music is life. "It is all about vocals. I'm all about projecting my voice," he explains. Just like his energetic personality, Pe'a's uplifting bombastic singing voice gets your attention and his talent holds it. "It's the voice of my kūpuna. My grandfather was an opera singer." His grandmother and aunties all sing and play the piano, harmonica and slackkey. "It's me singing now. I'm not a traditional Hawaiian falsetto singer. I am that innovative modern millennial Hawaiian that will sing the two songs off of my debut alhum titled, "You are so beautiful" by Joe Cocker in Hawai-

ian and English, and Heatwave's version of "Always and Forever," Futher Vandross style, also in Hawaiian and English, because that's who I am."

; A graduate of Ke Kula o Nāwahlokalani'ōpu'u, Pe'a's younger siblings started attending Hawaiian immersion school before he did. "I heard them talking 'ōlelo and I said, 'Oh no, this is not going to work.' I amnot going to be speaking English - one plus one equals ; two. I want to go to school and learn - ho'okahi ho'ohui ho'okahi 'elua : kela. I want to learn." So, in the i third grade he started. Hawaiian Fanguage Immersion schools were an innovative outgrowth of the 1970s Hawaiian Renaissance and there were high hopes the programs would revive the language. But as they eame to fruition in the '90s, they were still ; new, untested and not yet established. There were concerns over how i difficult it was to find teachers in the sciences and math that were

fluent in Hawaiian, and debates often ensued regarding whether students were being well-prepared and would thrive into adulthood. Pe'a learned at a young age that as a participant in this new school, whieh was a very small, he and his peers would have to work hard to succeed. Fuckily, Pe'a had the support of his family and friends, "Our graduated classmates believed in the program, but it has to take 'ohana. It has to take the 'ohana of Ke Kula o Nāwahlokalani'ōpu'u and the 'Aha Punana Eeo to believe in the program, to not only seek the challenges but to overcome those challenges. Whether we are speaking the Hawaiian language fluently. Whether I'm dealing with misconceptions because people may say, 'Kalani I don't think this program is going to work. You will not succeed because you are speaking Hawaiian.' I think we have to break that misconception." Many of Pe'a's classmates went to college right after graduating from Ke Kula o Nāwahīokalani'ōpu'u and heeame doctors, engineers, songwriters, reporters and teachers. Pe'a creates Hawaiian-based science-based curriculum for grades 6 to 12 as a Hawaiian Resource Coordinator at Kamehameha Schools Maui, in the Hawaiian Culture Based Education Department. He is also working on earning his master degree. Pe'a is articulate and a dynamic singer. He's had to work very hard to overcome the obstacles and ehallenges in his life. He inspires kulia i ka nu'u - strive to reach the summit - and he is still climbing, "to be who we want to be and to be driven. To be motivated and to be thriving Hawaiians who ean speak in both languages and who ean thrive in both languages." For more information, visit http:// www.kalanipeamusic.com ■

Upcoming events & performances > We are friends: A Lifetime Party of '70s Hawaiian Music Wed., Feb. 8, 8 p.m. Grammy Museum, Los Angeles > 59th Annual Grammy Awards Sun., Feb 12 Staples Center, Los Angeles Live broadcast on CBS > Kona Nui Nights - Kalani Pe'a Live Wed„ Feb. 15, 7-8 p.m. Ward Village, Honolulu Free performance > Pūlama Mauli Ola Fundraiser Sat„ Feb. 18 Ke Kula 'o Nāwahiokalani'ōpu'u Campus, Kea'au Free concert

j MELE 'AILANA ^ > ISLAND MUSIC SCENE /

Kalani Pe'a . - Courtesy photo