The tromp-tromp of Taiko Kauai blended with the toere from Tepairu Manea on Saturday at the Kukui Grove Center.
“Today is the Marshall Islands Jemenei Day, or 46th Constitution Day Celebration,” said Kaeo Bradford, the leader of the workshop series of cultural crafts that filled the space adjacent to Sone’s Delicatessen. “I would’ve loved to have had them join us. This is cultural exchange where we learn about them, and they learn about us.”
Bradford led her group of practitioners working with the Niihau students who earlier performed on the stage in the food court area. Those young performers were followed by Pearl Shimizu and the Japanese Cultural Society who brought up an agenda of “Kodomo no Hi,” or Children’s Day festivities centered around the Japanese — and locally adopted practice — of celebrating children and wishes for their good health and prosperity.
Kodomo no Hi stems back to when Boy’s Day was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month, which this year, falls on Monday. People would fly koinobori, which are carp kites or windsocks for each boy in the family representing values of courage, success and good health.
A similar celebration for girls called Hinamatsuri took place on the third day of the third month when families would display elaborate doll displays representing good health and happiness for the young girls.
These two celebrations were combined to Kodomo on Ni, or Children’s Day. Beside the exhibitions of classic Japanese dance, children were busy hands-on making ikebana floral arrangements for Mother’s Day and coloring paper koinobori to fly for Kodomo no Hi.
The Mei Makeke, which also celebrated lei on May Day, was filled with shoppers in the former Macy’s Mens department. That is adjacent to Deja Vu Surf Hawaii which erected an outside tent to capitalize on the flow of shoppers making their way to the Mei Makeke.
The Mei Makeke is open today, and will be open from Thursday through Mother’s Day to fill the lists of shoppers looking for that special Mother’s Day gift or graduation present. Kauai Community College will celebrate commencement on May 16, and the three public high schools — Waimea, Kauai and Kapaa — will celebrate graduation on May 23.
Today, the Kukui Grove Center welcomes Alan Akana and the Ninth Annual Kauai Steel Guitar Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. where steel guitar masters from Kauai and off-island will have a hoolaulea concert on stage at the foodcourt area.
Melissa McFerrin Warrack of the Kukui Grove leadership team said Ed Punua, one of the featured on the Kauai Steel Guitar Festival lineup, is off-island, but Kauai fireman Kilipaki Vaughn, also a coach at Island School and community events, will be playing right after Alan Akana.
The program also features “NextGen” steel guitarists performing traditional and contemporary Hawaiian music and dance.
The Kauai Steel Guitar Festival is presented by the Kukui Grove Center, HIMELE, and Ke Kula Mele Hawaii School of Hawaiian Music with support by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, through appropriations from the Hawaii State Legislature. Additional funding comes from the Laurence H. Dorcy Hawaiian Foundation. Steel Guitar strings and accessories provided to NextGen steel guitarists by John Pearse Strings.
