LIHU‘E — Professional entertainers are visiting Kaua‘i schools next week to discuss with students the importance of working hard to achieve goals, and other life lessons. Grammy-winner John Cruz, singer and songwriter, is on a personal mission to connect with
LIHU‘E — Professional entertainers are visiting Kaua‘i schools next week to discuss with students the importance of working hard to achieve goals, and other life lessons.
Grammy-winner John Cruz, singer and songwriter, is on a personal mission to connect with public- and private-school students of all ages, to help nurture an interest in music and a passion to work hard in order to achieve their dreams, a press release states.
With so many schools eliminating arts and cultural programs, combined with a challenging economic future, it’s more important than ever to reinforce these values with Hawai‘i’s keiki, Cruz said.
Cruz has visited many of Hawai‘i’s schools as part of a collaboration between Sprint Hawai‘i and the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, where ‘ukuleles are donated to school music programs in need of extra funding.
Also visiting Kalaheo, Island, Kapa‘a Middle, Koloa and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle schools Wednesday through Friday with Cruz will be Kap Te‘o-Tafiti, a Samoan fire-knife dancer and senior cultural practitioner at the Polynesian Cultural Center on O‘ahu.
Te‘o-Tafiti travels the world combining education with entertainment, will perform at the schools as well, and also will discuss and demonstrate the importance of the coconut throughout Polynesia, how it is used for food, weaving, making fire and more.
Both will also perform at the annual Kaua‘i Coconut Festival at Kapa‘a Beach Park Oct. 3.
Cruz headlines the 14th Annual Kaua‘i Coconut Festival, performing with Sean Carillo on vocals and acoustic guitar, and Sean’s cousin Frank Carillo on bass. They perform from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Currently working on his third album, Cruz will also help judge a coconut cooking contest with Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. at around 3 p.m.
The new album by Cruz is scheduled to be released sometime next year. He has tours planned around Hawai‘i, on the Mainland and to New Zealand and beyond in 2011.
Visit www.johncruz.com for more information on Cruz, www.kapsamoa.com for details on Te‘o-Tafiti, and www.kbakauai.org for information on the Kaua‘i Coconut Festival.
