October 21 - National Geographic (NG) Gilbert H. Grosvenor Auditorium part of the "Live...From NG" series info at National Geographic Lecture Series

As posted on their site at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lectures/2000fall/hawaii.html - "Keali'i Reichel: Master of Hawaiian Song and Dance Saturday, October 21, at 5 and 8 p.m. ET In 1994 singer Keali'i Reichel burst onto the Hawaiian music scene with a debut album, Kawaipunahele, that spent several weeks at the top of the world music charts and went on to become one of the best-selling recordings in Hawaiian music history. This innovative artist is also a master hula teacher, and he is renowned for combining the art of ancient and modern Hawaiian dance. Don't miss this chance to find out why this award-winning performer has touched the hearts of audiences around the world."

Living in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, we find ourselves open to some of the most wonderful opportunities. Such was the case when word came to us via email from the Hawai'i State Society announcing a concert featuring Keali'i Reichel. We immediately responded, reserving 3 tickets for the 8 p.m. show.

My husband and I do rescue of Chow Chows, and have our adoption days every Saturday from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at a local pet store in Alexandria, PetsMart. Because we were attending the concert later in that evening, we made sure that we packed up all the Chows and our accoutrement early enough so we could be out of the store on time for a change, and get all the dogs returned to their foster care facilities. We hurried homeward so we could relax a bit before having to get ready to leave by 5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. in order to get good seating since it was first come first serve.

Our long time friend, and a past member of the "The Aloha Serenaders" dance troupe, Noreen was meeting us at our house so we could ride in to D.C. together. For once we were ready early and had to just head on out the door upon her arrival. We got downtown and quickly found parking just up from the corner where the NG was located by 6:30 p.m. We got to the front of the building, picked up our tickets, and went in to find there was only the beginning of a line. So, we sat down upon the bench to wait until the 5 p.m. concert was over. We found out that the 8 p.m. show being sold out, a second earlier concert had been added to the schedule since there were so many requests for tickets.

What do we do while we wait? Talk story, of course! Two ladies were standing behind us and being islanders, we of course struck up a conversation...never mind they were total strangers, that wasn't a condition to last for long. The one lady asked about my necklace, wondering what it was. I told her it was my Hawaiian name pendent. Then we found ourselves discussing some of the inequities that have existed for many years and are now beginning to find themselves corrected, one being the change in laws that finally allowed Native Americans to bear native first names that occurred in 1976. In the course of our conversation, we got onto the topic of sovereignty and the reasons behind the desire to find a place in this world that would benefit the Hawaiians as a unified people. Pretty heady stuff for light conversation, eh? Well, come to find out, the one lady who had come up from NC just to attend the concert was American Indian. She told us that her people were getting assistance from the Hawaiians in trying to get them established as a recognized nation as well. It never ceases to amaze as to how small our very large world truly is.

Finally, it was evident that the 5 p.m. concert had come to an end when the doors leading to the auditorium hallway opened. By the number of people who came out of the auditorium, it appeared that the earlier concert might have also been sold out. While waiting for the auditorium to empty out so we could find our seats, we saw another couple who we'd first became friends with when they'd adopted one of our rescued Chows named Lokelani and had since adopted a second Chow named Pohaku. They told us the concert was absolutely wonderful and so moving it that brought many to tears. This only served to pique our appetites.

Finally the time had come to enter the auditorium in preparation for the very special concert we had been anxiously awaiting. The first three rows were reserved for the "dignitaries", the fourth row had already been filled, and then we found there were three seats at the beginning of the fifth row. We made ourselves comfortable and then, of course, talk story some more.

A picture of Keali'i appeared on the screen behind the chair and microphones.

Puakea Nogelmeier came forward to introduce his dear friend, the featured artist of the evening. Then the long awaited moment came and the stage began to fill. What transpired next was electric! Keali'i walked out onto the stage and began with a chant.

He then took a seat at center stage, tied his hair back, and began by telling us the story behind the next song he was to perform. And so it went from one song to the next.

In the background was a screen where the scenes would change, setting the stage for each song. In the foreground were the dancers performing the dances as taught to them by their Kumu Hula, Keali'i as he sang many of the selections from his latest CD, Melelana. The music was all one has come to expect from listening to the CDs, the performance was entrancing, and the stories were magic! It was an experience that one needed to be present for to have received all the chills and thrills of something so special beyond what mere words could describe.

Keali'i reminded the audience that although many may have never seen it before, men did the hula as well. As an aside, in ancient times, it was the male who did the hula, not the female. But the dance was very different in form back then and has now evolved into a new form that includes male and female dancers.

In the introductory comments before the performance of Mele A Ka Pu'uwai, Keali'i enlightened the audience as to the Hawaiian tradition of not speaking directly to the attributes of a person, but rather to bespeak those attributes using a metaphor. Brandon 'Iliahi Paredes had written the song in honor of a beloved professor, Joanne Pru who was leaving the University of Hawai'i Law School, telling of her positive influence and guidance that she had afforded her students.

Keali'i spoke of the place where he lives in the shadow of Maunaleo. He told a story of how the mountain reminded him so very much of the strength of his mother and how he came to write the next song in honor of that very special lady in his life. In keeping with the tradition of using the metaphor, Keali'i wrote the song Maunaleo for his mother. The choreography he created for the song is in the sitting style of dance as was done initially in presence of royalty as it was forbidden for anyone to be higher than the royal personage. Although Keali'i has no knowledge of having royal descendancy, he has always revered his mother as royalty in his life, so created the dance in such a manner in keeping with his respect for her.

In a wonderful number, Keali'i performed a dance with the ladies of his halau. After the performance was over, he commented on how as Kumu Hula one forgets how hard it is doing seated dances. The teacher only needs to direct, but doesn't have to join in with the students on the ground...the dancers pay a high price with their knees that find themselves ground into the surface that the dancer performs upon...usually very hard floors!

There were so many wonderful songs performed that evening. And with each song, there was a story Keali'i would tell. Ipo Lei Momi was one that he wrote after having done a documentary on Tahiti from the point of view of someone who had never been there but understood the culture, being that he was Hawaiian, a related people. He introduced Nematoda, written by Puakea Nogelmeier that describes the type of people who are very negative and seem to suck the very air out of life when they are around?the lesson here is that while we point to others, sometimes we need to look closely in the mirror lest we be equally guilty of doing the same. There was Ka 'Opihi O Kanapou, composed by Keali'i for the reawakening ceremonies of the island of Kaho'olawe telling the story of the skilled fisherman in his search, harvest, preparation, and consumption of the 'opihi, a metaphor for the skill of a lover. Accompanying another selection, we were treated to a very beautiful dance performed both by the group of ladies, as well as a portion that featured the male dancer and one of the ladies.

Keali'i at one point shared a very personal note with the audience when he spoke of his tutu wahine (grandmother) who had so recently passed from this plane to the next (just three weeks earlier), joining the ancestors to keep watch over their loved ones left behind. He then performed a song in her memory. The time had finally come when the performance was coming to an end, much too soon. Keali'i and his company left the stage to a great onslaught of applause and the calling of "Hana hou!" (encore).

Keali'i returned to the stage and once again graced us with more of his magical talent, his group returning one by one. Before beginning one of the selections, he begged forgiveness should he not remember all the words before performing Toad Song that was written by Puakea Nogelmeier one night reportedly as he brushed his teeth and heard the call of a bufo toad. The call made is what is heard when the toad is feeling a bit "frisky", hoping to attract a lover somewhere out there. This song reminds us that even a toad has someone out there who will love him. There were quite a number of other songs performed, but of course, even that had to eventually come to an end.

Most of the audience having left the auditorium, we could now stop to greet many of our other friends who over the years have become more like family, such as our matriarch of Washington, Aunty Myrtle Nelson. Times like this bring so many of our island people out for a night together. And it is a time when so many of us get to catch up with one another. Our beloved Aunty had just celebrated a very special birthday with a grand party that saw over 100 attendees. A group of the ladies had gotten together and performed a special dance in honor of her and our own local Kumu Hula, Mahina Bailey who passed over to the other side this past year. We said our good byes for the evening, and Aunty left for home.

Michael, Noreen, and I lingered a while longer to see if Keali'i would be coming out to perhaps sign autographs, etc. Finally, the people in charge asked that everyone leave the auditorium so the performers could make their way out. We went out front and ran into more long time friends in the lobby. We visited for a while and then finally Keali'i and his entourage flowed into the lobby headed for the doors. There was much applause, and people calling out to Keali'i and his people to let them know how appreciated their performance had been once again. We followed soon after and when Noreen saw that Keali'i had not yet left, she asked him if we could get his autograph. Of course, he was very gracious and gave us both his autograph. I can not begin to tell you how delighted we both were to have someone we both respect for his talent, knowledge, and experience give us his autograph...it was kind of like being a youngster once again, a groupie so-to-speak. Not that I'd ever been one, but, ah well, reliving one's youthfulness sometimes keeps the adrenaline flowing.

So, we left NG happy and fulfilled via a magnificent evening of entertainment that could only be described as having been totally enchanting. This was another one of those opportunities that we have been blessed to take advantage of living here in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. We have been able to see some of the most wonderful, popular entertainers from Hawai'i right here so very far away from home, and had the great fortune to get up close and personal many times with many of them over the years. Yes, indeed, we experienced yet another night making memories.

In conclusion, this from a program pamphlet of NG on Keali'i: "In 1994 singer Keali'i Reichel burst onto the Hawaiian music scene with a debut album, Kawaipunahele, that spent several weeks at the top of the world music charts and went on to become one of the best-selling recordings in Hawaiian music history. Since then he has released three more CDs, with the most recent, Melelana, winning six Hoku awards--Hawaii's equivalent of the Grammy awards. With his success, this award-winning artist has been tapped to open concerts for recording stars from Celine Dion to Sting. He has headlined his own concerts internationally, and in venues from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl. Reichel, whose Hawaiian roots form the foundation of his musical repertoire, is famous for his artful way of combining ancestral chants with popular standards. This innovative artist is also a master hula teacher, and his performances are renowned for combining the art of ancient and modern Hawaiian dance. Don't miss this chance to find out why the extraordinary performer has touched the hearts of audiences across the world."