Aloha mai kakou! Come celebrate with us during this Hawaiian Arts Festival !!!
It is the 20th Anniversary of Halau Hula O Manoa, the first halau hula to be founded in France. Featuring many aspects of Hawaiian culture including: chants and dance, music, foods, flower leis, lomi, literary works and contemporary art. Cyril Pahinui, Taimane Gardner, Sam ‘Ohu Gon, Halau Mele, chef Eric Leterc and Patricia Lei Murray share their talents while Tony Solis captures magic moments on film.
The story begins with my daughter Vanessa Leilani and her desire to learn more about Hawaiian culture while growing up in France. The presence of enthusiastic dancers enriched our lives and brought hula to many in Paris. From those early days the emphasis was on teaching history and cultural traditions as a part of hula training.
Raised in Manoa, over the years I had the privilege of studying with such noted kumu hula as Mama Bishop, Ellen Castillo, Uncle George Holokai and Kimo Alama Keaulana. Studies in art history brought me to Paris, where for 28 years my main activities centered around a career as an art critic and historian. Amongst the numerous art exhibits that I organized in France, in 1989 I initiated the Crossings ’89 France – Hawaii art exchange. This commemorated the centennial of the Artificial Curiosities from Hawaii’s exhibition sent by King David Kalakaua to the Universal Exposition in 1889.
In 2005 I returned to live in Honolulu and brought an exhibition to the Academy of Arts entitled “Hawai‘i in Paris: The Art of Hula.” This unique artistic and educational exchange celebrated the inspiration of hula in a world context as seen through works produced by 10 international artists living and working in Paris. Some 30 dancers and artists from Paris traveled to Honolulu for the exhibition and a documentary of their journey was filmed by Arnaud Dufour for French television. In 2008 this film culminated the “Year of Hula” film festival at the Bishop Museum.
A major focus of my life has been the sharing of hula and Hawaiian culture abroad. I suppose you could say that through both my career in art and my teaching as a kumu hula, I have been a promoter/facilitator of cultural exchange.
This summer’s Hawaii Art Festival in Paris will be an “art-full” exchange between Hawaii and France that celebrates the contribution that these gathering places might make to the future of Europe and the Pacific.
We have formed a Steering Committee for this event in Hawai'i. Members are:
Mark and Aloha McGuffie, Sam and Shari Gon, Patricia Lei Murray, Mahealani Wong, ß Kawika Brown and Kilohana Silve.
Our local channel, OC16, has committed to film the event; and Paris-based journalists from all over the world will cover it. This is a wonderful opportunity to share Hawaiian music, hula, fashion, art and an array of unique Hawai’i made products.
We are now seeking support from the wider community to cover transportation, honorarium fees, lei adornments and refreshments to make this event possible. Your kokua would be greatly appreciated.
Me ke aloha pumehana,
Kilohana Silve
The story begins with my daughter Vanessa Leilani and her desire to learn more about Hawaiian culture while growing up in France. The presence of enthusiastic dancers enriched our lives and brought hula to many in Paris. From those early days the emphasis was on teaching history and cultural traditions as a part of hula training.
Raised in Manoa, over the years I had the privilege of studying with such noted kumu hula as Mama Bishop, Ellen Castillo, Uncle George Holokai and Kimo Alama Keaulana. Studies in art history brought me to Paris, where for 28 years my main activities centered around a career as an art critic and historian. Amongst the numerous art exhibits that I organized in France, in 1989 I initiated the Crossings ’89 France – Hawaii art exchange. This commemorated the centennial of the Artificial Curiosities from Hawaii’s exhibition sent by King David Kalakaua to the Universal Exposition in 1889.
In 2005 I returned to live in Honolulu and brought an exhibition to the Academy of Arts entitled “Hawai‘i in Paris: The Art of Hula.” This unique artistic and educational exchange celebrated the inspiration of hula in a world context as seen through works produced by 10 international artists living and working in Paris. Some 30 dancers and artists from Paris traveled to Honolulu for the exhibition and a documentary of their journey was filmed by Arnaud Dufour for French television. In 2008 this film culminated the “Year of Hula” film festival at the Bishop Museum.
A major focus of my life has been the sharing of hula and Hawaiian culture abroad. I suppose you could say that through both my career in art and my teaching as a kumu hula, I have been a promoter/facilitator of cultural exchange.
This summer’s Hawaii Art Festival in Paris will be an “art-full” exchange between Hawaii and France that celebrates the contribution that these gathering places might make to the future of Europe and the Pacific.
We have formed a Steering Committee for this event in Hawai'i. Members are:
Mark and Aloha McGuffie, Sam and Shari Gon, Patricia Lei Murray, Mahealani Wong, ß Kawika Brown and Kilohana Silve.
Our local channel, OC16, has committed to film the event; and Paris-based journalists from all over the world will cover it. This is a wonderful opportunity to share Hawaiian music, hula, fashion, art and an array of unique Hawai’i made products.
We are now seeking support from the wider community to cover transportation, honorarium fees, lei adornments and refreshments to make this event possible. Your kokua would be greatly appreciated.
Me ke aloha pumehana,
Kilohana Silve