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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 07/20/2007 : 07:08:07 AM
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Here is a very interesting program to watch - about 28 minutes long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-240KZgTxTI
Talk story with a fisherman/slack-key player/farmer from Moloka`i, Anakala Keli'i Mauwae.
Sharing the mana`o of the kupuna.
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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ohanabrown
Lokahi
281 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 12:18:12 AM
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What can I say, I'm so glad Kili is getting the recognition he deserves. We both met back in 2003 on Molokai. He is a walking encyclopedia believe me, Keith, Julie and the rest of the AMC group got to meet uncle at the boat harbor as we were all sitting and waiting for the ferry to sail back to Maui. He played some slack key for everyone and told some of his stories.
If you ever want to know what is a true Hawaiian? Look know further! even though Molokai is part of Maui county and the official mayor is from Maui, the people of Molokai voted uncle Kili as the honorary Mayor of Molokai, I'll say it again..... WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY.
Congratulation's Kili... Your Friend, Kevin. p.s. I could tell you some storys that will make you laugh and cry, and it'll take at least 3 day's to read it.
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Kevin K. Brown |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 04:26:52 AM
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An important message for us all...find your kuleana and do it.
I noticed Uncle was humming along while he was playing Waiulu. Any of you other guitar pickers do that? |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 04:35:03 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by ohanabrown
p.s. I could tell you some storys that will make you laugh and cry, and it'll take at least 3 day's to read it.
Uncle Kevin. So great to read your post. I would read your posts even if it took me a whole week. Aloha to you, your family and the extended Maui `ohana. |
Andy |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 05:16:42 AM
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| Kevin - we would love to hear your stories. I remember your interview on Don Narup's podcast...about your father-in-law's guitar. What a precious story that was, so full of aloha. You ever come to Dayton to see your sister, let me know. Paul and I could drive down to Dayton in about 3 1/2 hours. I've been to Wright-Patterson AFB so many times, I could drive there in my sleep. Aloha to `Ohana Brown. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 11:22:18 AM
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Wait a minute- You sleep, I'll drive. One or the other.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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ohanabrown
Lokahi
281 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 12:32:07 PM
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OK, Andy convinced me, thank you for the kind word's. Andy I promise it won't be a week to read it. Mahalo Wanda for posting Kili's interview.
Back in 2003 my daughter was sent to the island of Molokai, she served as a police officer for 1 year. She is the only girl in the family, she has 3 brother's, so as a father you kinda lean a little on the girl side. Her name is Kaena, when I found out she was going to Molokai for a year it was the saddest day of my life. Just being a police officer you worry about the time she leaves the house till the time she gets home, and being away for 1 year made it even harder for me. But sometimes in life everything happens for a reason.
After talking with my wife and working around my schedule, I made it a point to go over to Molokai when ever I had a chance to and spend some time with Kaena. I would stay at least a week cooking for her, and spending what I call "Father" time with her. It was on my third visit to Molokai that I met Kili. One morning my daughter and I was having breakfast and I could hear a voice calling,"brown, brown" I told my daughter someone is calling for her, she looked outside and saw this older man with white hair and beard, she told me, dad! I don't know that guy, so I went outside looked down from the upper deck and said...Aloha! Uncle, what can i do for you? he said this whea the police officer live? So I started walking down the stairs, shook his hand and then he gave me a cooler opened it up and said this is for you and your daughter, my son caught it and I wanted to give it to you. There were 2 huge Lobsters 3 good size Nenui (fish.) he said my name is Keli'i Pio Mauwae, my tutu from Maui lived in Kaupo she played ki ho'alu. That day was the beginning of a friendship that I will cherish for the rest of my life. He said, you the guy from Maui that play ki ho'alu? I said yes, then he said if I could come to his house that evening to play some ki ho'alu, he gave me the street name and said my house easy fo find as the last house before the dirt road, we hugged thanked him for the makana ( gift.) and for lunch we had the sweetest lobster that was drenched with butter we both ever tasted.
The first time I came I brought my guitar and left it at the house so the times my daughter was at work I would sit and play by myself. Well that evening I headed out to Hoolehua started looking for the street name I must've gone up and down the road 10 times and couldn't find the street sign that said, "MO'OMOMI" I finally saw someone and asked them if they knew where mo'omomi street was he pointed in the direction that I drove at least 10 times and didn't want to say anything to him, so I drove in that direction because from my mirror I could see him watching me I turned down and there it was.... the street sign, it was lying on the ground, must've have been there for years because the sign itself was all rusty and you could hardly make out the word, Mo'omomi. I knew then I was heading in the right direction now all I had to do was look for the dirt road. After driving over 2 miles I finally saw the road, turned got out of the car and as i walked up the drive way I heard the most sweetest slack key coming from the garage. The dogs barked, the pigs oinked, the ducks came running and I heard "kulikuli" and everything was quiet. Kili walked over and said come inside we go eat first then kanikapila aftah.I got there at 3pm I didn't leave until after 12 midnight. Kili plays the old way, he said my tutu thought me the old style.
Because of his age Kili has a hard time hearing he always plugs into his amplifier, when theres no amp he has to hum the tune while playing so he knows where he's at on the fret board. That evening was special too me, everything about Kili is pure innocent and a lot of ALOHA! before going home he said what was i doing the next day, he wanted me to come and play with him at there swap meet held every saturday in kaunakakai. he picked me up that morning we headed to town took his amp of the truck and set it down in this area where everyone knows as Kilis spot. We sat and played from 9am to 1pm, STRAIGHT! that was a humbling experience, he put a 5 gallon bucket in front of us, I thought it was to put our bags or what ever we didn't want to hold, and later found out that was his "Tip Jar".
As the swap meet was coming to a close I took his amp carried it back to his truck and he said..."brown" go get the tip jar, brought it to the truck and he drove of. We drove to this place called Manila camp, looked like and old plantation camp. He got out of the truck told me to bring the bucket, he walked to this house knocked on the door told me to put the bucket down and we walked away. I was still thinking about the long session we just did, and trying to think why he left this bucket full of money at the door. As we drove away he told me, every saturday I play at the swap meet and after, I take all the tip money to a needy family on Molokai and leave it at there door. he knows every family on Molokai and he must know which one is having a hard time, so every saturday he takes the bucket to different family's. I have a feeling the familys know it's from Kili, because the following week there it was the same bucket, don't know if the familys drop it off or he picks it up. Now talk about compassion and unconditional love! I can see why the people consider Kili as there honoary Mayor. I'm sorry but my wife just called and waiting for me at the airport, need to pick her up. I promise I will continue when I get back home.
Me Ke Aloha
Kevin.
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Kevin K. Brown |
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kihoalukid
Lokahi
USA
290 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 12:54:53 PM
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| Great story Kevin, havent been to Molokai in about 20 years, but next time im there, im hitting the swap meet on Saturday for sure! Lee. |
Lee |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 2:55:03 PM
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Kevin - thank you for sharing that story. Now you know whenever someone talks story, it reminds me of a story too. This story of aloha by Uncle to take the tip jar to a different house each week has truly touched me. Makes me ashamed of myself one time when we went to Detroit for a vacation.
We wanted to go to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, home of Ford Motor Co. and a working museum town started by the Fords. One of the things I wanted to do while there was go into Detroit and waste some money at one of the casinos. I decided Greektown it would be and we got instructions from the hotel desk clerk on how to get there. We obviously did something wrong, missed a turn or missed an exit or something. We were lost in the middle of Detroit somewhere and the neighborhood did not look any too good. Streets just dead-ended with no warning; burned out houses, broken glass and trash everywhere. We could not figure where the heck we were. We saw a Mickie D's and pulled over into the parking lot there next to a street light to better be able to read our map and our instructions from the desk clerk. While we were sitting there, a woman came knocking on our door. I looked up and it was a very skinny woman with the nappiest hair I had ever seen. I figured oh boy, this is one crack ho' and she is going to rob us. My sweet Paul rolled down the window to talk to her (he is so sweet and innocent). I thought to myself, dumb move, rolling the window down so the crack ho can rob us. But she said to Paul, are you guys lost. One of the other of us said yes, since it was pretty obvious since we were sitting there with a map unfolded. She asked where we were going and one or the other of us said Greektown. She very kindly proceded to instruct us the right way to get to the casino. We thanked her and Paul started to roll the window up so we could high-tail it out of there. Just then the crack ho asked if we had any money we could give her, because she had not eaten for a while. I figured we pull out money to give her something and she will knock us over the head and rob us or worse. I think we had some change or maybe a dollar or so in the cup holder, so we gave her that figuring it was enough for something from Mickie D's if she was really hungry and it wasn't enough money to spend on buying more dope. We told her we didn't have any more money. Then we drove away. I got to thinking as we drove away, that here I was a) telling her we were going to Greektown, so she surely knew we were going to a casino and had money; b) I was perfectly willing to waste money in a casino but not to spend it on my fellow man. c) Justified it to myself that I was sure if we gave her money she would buy more crack cocaine. d) Wasn't even sure she WAS on crack cocaine, just made assumptions from her appearance and her neighborhood. e) ashamed of myself for being williing to, basically, throw my money up in the air (waste it), but not willing to feed a fellow human being. How disgusting was that? I really do not know what we should have done in such a situation. She probably really was hungry, just as she probably really was on some kind of drugs. And then I won a nice chunk of money at the casino and ate at a really great Greek restaurant where Paul had some kind of flaming cheese and they say "Opa" or something like that. We ate so much we couldn't hardly move. And that skinny as a bone woman was back there in Detroit somewhere in the Mickie D's parking lot, shaking her head in amazement at the selfish honkies who went off to waste money at a casino.
Your story of Uncle shows that I know nothing about true aloha. But it shows I have plenty to learn.
Mahalo, once again Kevin. Please share more with us. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 6:41:22 PM
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Uncle Kevin,
Mahalo nui for sharing this story with the 'patch. I am so glad that you got some time on your computer. I wish I had the chance to meet Kili that one time when we were on Molokai but he wasn't home. I am glad that you found such a great friend resulting from Kaena's assignment on Molokai. |
Andy |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2007 : 8:51:38 PM
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Wanda you beat yourself up pretty good. The story is about true Aloha. This is not about the tourist bureau's brand of Aloha. That's kinda what makes our music what it is. If you get out of Waikiki you can find that in a lot of places in Hawaii.
I just wanted to share my thought about gift giving. I think a gift is best when given un- conditionally. That means no strings attached. It is like releasing a bird. Once the bird takes off you cannot tell it where to fly. The same with a gift. Once it is given you no longer own it. The recipient of the gift can do whatever they want with it. To prejudge that someone is going to buy drugs or food is irrelevant to the gift. You give out of the kindness of your heart so you maybe shouldn't taint it with rules or any bad thoughts.
I don't mean to make this sound like I'm talking about you directly. The you I mean in this is the proverbial everyone.
When we choose to help someone it is because we want to do so and it comes from the heart. When we do this we don't wait for gov't. agencies to step in and we don't wait for someone to collect millions of dollars and leave us wondering if the right people get the money. We just roll up our sleeves and get to work. Or we choose not to get involved. Sometimes that is OK too. I think though that the community on Moloka'i is small enough that that those who can help will do so when they are able too.
I am deeply touched by Kili of Molokai and Kevin and you for sharing what I feel is Hawaiian spirit.
Me ke aloha pu mehana |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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ohanabrown
Lokahi
281 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2007 : 12:31:55 AM
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Andy I remember that day we went in the bushes with Ozzie and George to look for old bottles, and we drove to kilis house but know one was home. Kihoalu 20 years? well it hasn't changed that much except now you have to wait awhile before coming out of your drive way to get on the highway. Noeau you couldn't have put it better. Wanda at that moment and time you felt what you did, was the right thing. Look at it this way, you didn't give her $20 or $50 but you did give her something and even if you gave her a penny, you still felt some compassion to give her something, and aloha starts there.
This story is about "The Big Fish" remember the one that got away? One day I was sitting on kilis couch looking at all the pictures on the wall. I saw this young good looking hawaiian youth holding up a 129 pound ulua by it's tail. (fish.) (not sure what the english name is.) I walked closer and said, who's this guy? Kili said as me when I was 20 years old. (Today he's in his mid 70's.) it was in a picture frame and at the bottom I read... Picture taken by National Geographic recording this catch as "The World Record" for free dive and spearing the fish with a three prong spear. In hawaii we call it hawaiian sling. Others have speared way bigger ulua then kilis 129 pound, the difference is kilis spear had no "Barb" and it wasn't a "High Powered Gun". The only thing that made kilis spear go forward was the surgical rubber at the end of the spear, where he had to stretch it as far back as he could with one hand and let it go with the other. Till this very day no one has broken his record. I have 2 more storys to share, but can't keep my eyes open, sorry! I'll continue tomorrow.
Me Ke Aloha
Kevin
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Kevin K. Brown |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2007 : 03:13:17 AM
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Kevin, remember when you and Sarah and I were going to go over to Moloka`i to tape Kili, but things didn't work out? Well, because of that video we get to see him as well as hear him, and so many more things about him are preserved, even though we are now 5000 miles away. So, things do work out some times. It sure is nice when they do.
E malama pono,
Reid |
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Menpachi Man
Lokahi
274 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2007 : 6:15:15 PM
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kupuna kili ... he get plenneh mana. i listen to him on da video several times. each time, hear somting different. sound like kupunas i remembah, now gone.
Video had plenny meaning fo me since I one slakah-fisherman. WESTPAC, get plenneh discussions:
http://www.hanapaa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3887
Da kumu guy on big isle get similar kine manao as kili. Lil bit different tho.
Neva did bring up ulua wid hawaiian sling (3-prong), neva stone em rite, all hemo. Sometime, let da spear go so da fish fite da spear but still hemo. Too excited fo eat da fish so get junk kine aim! haha. Gotta stone em rite, catch em first befo can eat!
One time I meet up wid one Filipino guy in da open water, suprise me. I was coming in from about 1/8-1/4 mile out (young time could swim mo den 2 miles, mo den 2 hrs in da watah). I wen spock one ulau spinning on da oddah kine hawaiian sling spear (now no mo), single shaft barbed spear, not da tree-prong kine. Dead centah. Den I saw him. He wen go down, try bring em up but wen lose da fish. Sometime I wish I wen go stone em fo him since da ulua (~40 lb) was laying still on da bottom. No hear too many guys spearing poundahs (> 100lb) though. Usually less den poundahs.
Kevin, I like da stories. Mahalos. You can talk story some mo? Fishin stories wen make my eye BEEG  .
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Edited by - Menpachi Man on 07/22/2007 7:16:39 PM |
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ohanabrown
Lokahi
281 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2007 : 12:59:03 AM
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Menpachi, this is for you. Everytime I went back to Molokai, I swear they must have a coconut wireless, sometimes not even my daughter know that I coming but, soon as I get of the ferry, Kilis on the dock waiting.
One day Kili took me to visit his other fishing partner, his name is Halona Kaupuiki. Halonas job is to sew the nets that had the holes. During akule season Kilis fishing crew always busy. I sat one day just talking to halona ( who is also a strong activist.) we talked about kilis fishing skills, on Molokai just about everyone before going out to sea they always check with kili, asking about the currents, the tide, which way the winds going shift, one of my friends told me if it wasn't for uncle kili he wouldn't be here today.
Halona told me that kili has a big heart, always giving, infact he said when they surround akule they catch'um by the cooler load. If you had those big white coolers? you would need at least 20 of them. Soon as they reach the shore who ever he sees he calls them to come and take home for there family. He lets the crew take what they want and then the rest he drives around Molokai and gives it all away, by the time he gets home he walks in with 2 good size akule enough for him and his wife. Halona would say kilis wife would always shake her head and say, at least you saved me one. When my daughter went to work, I would spend hours and days just playing ki ho'alu with kili, we became really close. One day he took me behind his house and pointed out his property to me. He has 40 acres, he divided the lot evenly with his children which left him with 4 acres. He took me to a spot across from his house and said..."brown" this is for you, I giving you 1 acre next to me, I already told my children. the only thing is you gotta build your own house. I lookd at him, put my guitar down hugged him and said, THANK YOU KILI, I appreciate the thought but I'm a Maui boy and by the way my wife don't like to ride boats and she doesn't like small planes, keep it for the next generation. He said my children get enough land to give there granchildren. I thanked him again and said don't think we'll ever leave Maui. Till today when he sees me he'll say...."brown" I still get your 1 acre.
The Last Story! It was getting close to where my daughters year was almost up, so I would visit kili all the time. One day before catching the ferry back to Maui we had lunch, that was not a good idea. During lunch kili told me he was going to enter molokais first ever slack key concert, which was going to be held in 3 weeks. And he asked me if i could come to his house and listen to him play all his songs and tell him which one he should play.
After the heavy lunch we went to his house, sat on the couch, took his ovation guitar out and said, "brown" I going play you all the songs i know, listen and then tell me which one I should play. By that time the food had settled way down in my stomach, my eyes started to get heavy. By the 3rd song my eyes got heavy, the music got sweeter and sweeter, and my eyes heavier and heavier. I don't know how much more songs kili played, because my eyes was shut, BUT! i could still hear music, and all of a sudden he played this one song and I jumped from the couch and pointed to kili, "This is the One" he jumped too. He looked at me and said, you "Shu-wah", I said that's the one kili, he said but you was, "Ho'onanea" ( deep relaxation.) when i was playing, I know but believe me this is the song,it what woke me up. The name of the song was, Aloha Ia No Maui.( instrumental, in double slack.) After that he drove to the harbor and i went back to Maui. I didn't go back to Molokai for awhile, I really wanted to be at the slack key contest but it was a busy month for me. On that day of the contest i was thinking of kili. When i didn't hear from him, I wanted to call but wasn't sure if i should. Well 3 days after i got this phone call, the first thing i heard was.."brown" I winn'um, I winn'um!, I was so happy for him, He said he was the last contestant, and they almost forgot about him. He said he had dedicated the song to me, and he started playing... "aloha ia no maui" . The winner got a brand new guitar, he was soooo happy with the guitar, I congratulated kili and said what kine guitar you won? he could'nt make out the name, and he told me the guitar had to much buttons and he didn't know how to use it, and wanted to know when the next time i was coming. The following week, i went there, he picked me up and brought the guitar with him. It was an Ibanez sunburst color and the buttons was the EQ with the volume control. I was happy for him so was the people of Molokai. If you look at his interview, take a good look at the guitar...THAT's the ONE!
Me Ke Aloha
Kevin |
Kevin K. Brown |
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Pua Kai
Ha`aha`a
USA
1007 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2007 : 04:27:26 AM
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Mahalo Kevin for the wonderful stories!!! "hana hou" - - does that work for stories as well as music??
Al - nice comments about gifts...
Around here, when we do something nice and they want to repay, the answer is: when you are able, do something or give something that you are able to someone who needs. We don't need, don't expect, don't want repayment; only know that it's passed along.
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