Women's History Month: NĀ MELE HAWAIʻI — SONGS OF HAWAIʻI

Join us for an afternoon of mele (song) and hula (dance) celebrating women of Hawaiʻi, with musicians Kainoa Yasui, Kanileʻa Goddard, and Kristian Lloyd, and dancer Kawena.

Featuring female composers, lyricists, and choreographers, the performance will share standards from the canon of 20-21st century Hawaiian music and hula ʻauana that animate stories from Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi island.

A short Q&A will end the program, with a community mixer to follow.

Nā Mele Hawaiʻi — Songs of Hawaiʻi is a free community program presented by Queens Public Library, and the first Hawaiʻi-focused event offered at the Flushing branch. Special thanks to Kumu Kaliko Beamer-Trapp, Kahu Kris, and Kanoe Cazimero.

ARTIST BIOS

TAYLOR KAINOA YASUI was born and raised in Hawaiʻi on the island of Oʻahu in the area known as Maunalua. Collaborating and fostering relationships in business as a real estate agent and in music as a classically trained cellist is where Kainoa finds purpose in his life. Kainoa was instilled with Hawaiian values and culture throughout his education at Kamehameha Schools, a beneficiary of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop’s trust and estate.

CLAUDIA KANILEʻA GODDARD’s vocals are a result of a blend of classical training and a passion for Hawaiian music and culture. A coloratura soprano, she also plays ʻukulele and Hawaiian Slack Key guitar. When in Hawaiʻi, she studies with slack key guitar masters Keola Beamer and Ozzie Kotani (both of whom were featured in the all-slack key soundtrack to the Oscar-award winning film “The Descendants”). In NYC, Claudia is the musician for kumu hula (master hula teacher) Vicky Holt Takamine’s group Pua Aliʻi ʻIlima o Nuioka, an extension of Kumu’s hālau on Oʻahu.

KRISTIAN LLOYD got his start in Hawaiian music at 14 years old in his school's Hawaiian Ensemble with Jon Toda. Soon after, he began studying under Grammy nominee and multiple Nā Hoku award winner, Kamalei Kawaʻa, of Nā Wai Eha, learning leo kiʻekiʻe (Hawaiian falsetto techniques). At 18, he began dancing with nā kumu Iliahi and Haunani Paredes of Hālau Kekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻiliahi. Kristian is currently a student at Columbia University where he sings for the Hawaiʻi club, Mālama Hawaiʻi. Whenever he is home on Maui, Kristian also works as a musician for Tihati Productions.

KAWENA is from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. She began dancing hula at age 5, learning from Kumu April Chock at Kamehameha Summer School. In middle and high school, she studied under nā Kumu Lehua Carvalho and Ed Collier and met her mentor, Kanoe Cazimero. When dancing, her goal is to perpetuate the ʻike (knowledge) she has been trusted with.

Kawena has offered hula courtesy of American Indian Community House, Brooklyn College, Cullman Education Center MoMA, and The Watermill Center. She collaborates frequently with Taylor Kainoa Yasui and is currently based on Canarsie and Munsee Lenape land (Brooklyn, NY).

Register for up to 3 free tickets.

Host or Publisher Queens Public Library