The City of Cupertino celebrated its first-ever Na Leo Mokupuni, a music festival featuring various Pacific Islander songs from many performing bands, on Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event was hosted at Cupertino’s Community Hall and consisted of singing and dancing, with many performers clad in Muʻumuʻu’s — traditional Hawaiian dresses commonly worn for hula performances.
Event Supervisor Amanda Hui explains that the event was largely held due to the community’s longing for more traditional Pacific Islander music and to celebrate Pacific Islander culture. Hui adds that this event was made possible by collaborating with many other individual contributors and rallying support from many elderly citizens with connections in the community who were invested in paying homage to the islands.
“We all have the same ideals of respecting the land, having music and having a community with that feeling of ‘ohana,’” Hui said. “Just the variation of different dances that we have today really just shows that even on the tiny islands, there is such diversity of their love of music and the land.”
Among the performers, Karen Sanico is part of the husband-and-wife-led Hawaiian band Leomele, where she and her husband, Richard Sanico, frequently perform at pop-up events. As a native Hawaiian, Sanico adds that the majority of her singing repertoire stems from the songs she grew up with, which evoke many fond memories.
“It’s fun because we get to share our culture, because we both grew up in Hawaii,” Sanico said. “These songs were popular when we were growing up in our teenage years, so we’d like to bring them out again.”
As an ambassador for the Lei Nani Hula Dancers, a cultural hula festival group, Kika De Ponte agrees with Sanico, emphasizing that opportunities like this festival unite the local Pacific Islander community. De Ponte wishes to pass on his knowledge of traditional Hawaiian dances to the younger generation.
“The future is keeping this community together and educating the youth that belongs to us,” De Ponte said. “There are some children in our group who are starting to learn the conch shell blower at only 12. We have two little girls who are seven and five, and they’re starting already. So that’s how we progress.”
Hui adds that in the future, these events can showcase a greater variety of island cultures, featuring their unique music and dances in addition to Hawaii’s. She hopes that Pacific Islander arts, like any cultural arts, are for people of all ages.
“Within island culture, we’re open to all ages,” Hui said. “It isn’t specific to anyone. Personally, I’m from the Cupertino Senior Center, which is specific to older adults. This is open to everyone because it’s just about connecting the community.”
