Ku'uipo Kumukahi - Hawaiian Musician and Cultural Practitioner

I am from the island of Hawaiʻi. Raised on family ʻāina that was given to my great great grandfather through a Royal Patent Land Grant in 1850. I am the 5th generation to be raised on family land with all of our kupuna, including my parents, buried on the property. My father was a manaleo, native Hawaiian speaker and chose not to teach me ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi as he reflected on his time of being punished in school for speaking Hawaiian. Growing up, I intently watched and learned from my parents. My mother, a nurse, loved working with adults with mental illness who needed someone in their lives to see them through their issues - she used the art of inclusion to build their purpose in life. My fatherʻs knew how to deal in a western space at the same time being true to his ancestral knowledge and protective of all things Hawaiian - kind yet a force to reckon with.
These features led me to do what I am doing today in a heavily cultivated western non-Hawaiian space.
I have a kuleana that requires me to mālama with aloha with an end goal of pono.
Iʻve been a musician in Waikīkī for 3 decades, recorded several recordings, garnered several awards for music and a couple for community engagement. I worked at a non-profit organization for near;y 20 years serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Iʻve been at the Hyatt Regency for 7 years as their Director of Hawaiian Culture and Community Relations. Along with some friends we created a small community organization called The Hawaiian Music Perpetuation Society - preserve, promote, perpetuate Mele Hawaiʻi.
Social media handles:
Instagram: @thekuproject
TikTok: @kuproject
Twitter: @thekuproject
To Learn more about Culturised visit: www.culturised.com/
Culturised is a www.wikiocast.com/ production.

[@leimanaabenes7]

Hawai'i Island's ancient/traditional names are Lononuiakea & Moku O Keawe. I was raised right above at (Kalaoa Mauka) Aunty Kuʻuipo's ʻāina kūpuna (Aleʻamai). My grandmother's name is Annie Nāmauʻu, and it's our ʻāina kūpuna there where our ʻOhana Nāmauʻu came from. Mahalo, for all that you do Makani for our lāhui and for doing your part with, protecting, preserving, and perpetuating all things Hawai'i. Me ke aloha nui. ❤❤❤🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾

[@marydrayer2792]

Great interview - and mana’o on the visitor industry and the ways in which CHANGE can be brought about - i am sharing this w/ my ‘ohana who work hotel 👍🏼 Mahalo Makani and Kuʻuipo 🙏🏼 The younger generations are the future ✊🏼 Kūʻē