 And welcome to another episode of Ukulele Songs of Hawaii. My name is Walter Kawaiiia, your host for today's episode entitled The Pure Voice of Moloka'i, Raiatea Helm. Raiatea Helm, born on the island of Moloka'i, birthed onto the Hawaiian music scene at the ripe old age of 16. Barely two years later, her debut album, Far Way Heaven, earned critical accolades and thrilled Hawaiian audiences. In 2003, she became the youngest artist ever to be named Female Vocalist of the Year by the Hawaiian Academy of Recording Arts. Since then, Raiatea Helm has received seven more of the Academy's prestigious Na Hoku Honohono Awards, plus two Grammy nominations. Concert tours have taken her beyond Hawaii to a multitude of mainland venues and throughout Asia and the South Pacific. Raiatea frequently performs at festivities dedicated to traditional Hawaiian music, always seeking to expand her musical prowess. Helm, in 2017, began her academic pursuits towards a degree in music at the University of Hawaii. Raiatea knows that with this added direction, more greater musical knowledge and awareness in all aspects and genres of music, new opportunities will open for her. Well, folks, lots more to talk with Raiatea Helm. Aloha, welcome to Ukulele Songs of Hawaii. Aloha, how are you? You look so gorgeous in that poor kenny kenny lei. Mahalo, I'm so happy to be here. Well, thank you very much, Raiatea. I like to start off by asking, you know, I think most of your fans and our viewing audience are well aware of your accomplishments over these almost 20 years that you've been in the business. Ah, almost, almost. Well, let me ask you a question. So since our time is brief today, I think our viewers would be most interested in what's happening in the life of Raiatea today. So with that in mind, may I ask you to share with us this new quest of yours to pursue the academic side of the music world. I find that very interesting. Well, you know, in 2002, I graduated from high school in Moloka'i, and I decided to pursue my career in music with the support of my parents. You know, even though education was the most important thing, I felt as though that I wanted to take advantage of that time to learn in the Hawaiian music industry. And so they supported my efforts, and it was a pretty fun journey, you know, since 2002. And then just recently I decided to go back to school, and it's always been my dream to have a degree, a college degree. And so I'm entering my junior year, excuse me, in the fall of 2019, and I've been learning a lot. So it's exciting, you know, challenging though. I'm listening to you talking, I can only imagine knowing what your professional schedule must be like. How have you been able to balance, you know, between personal time, family time, school, and your, you know, incredible music career? Well, you know, I've been very grateful throughout the years that, you know, I've done well in the industry, and, you know, I've been able to balance life with school and music, you know, I'm making sure that I have enough time set aside for school. And then when I graduate, I'll be able to, you know, focus more on the career again, but in a different way, enhancing. Excellent. So that leads to my second question. I think, and I share in this experience myself, being a musician and being trained by, you know, legendary iconic Cajau Under Lake, of course, our viewing audience, you know, my relationship with Raita extends beyond Raita. Her uncle, the legendary musician and activist who we all came to love was a high school classmate of mine at St. Louis High School, where we were handpicked by Cajau Under Lake to be taught in that brand of music. And so George and I became buddies, you know, forever. I mean, we really became close, and we also shared working careers at Hawaiian Airlines, playing music together. And through that opportunity, I got to meet Raita's family, you know, and her dad, Zachary, I can't help it. Every time I say your dad's name, I just, it sends me back to times when I first met these guys at Molokai. We have to do another show just to talk about my experience when I first went to Molokai. Too funny. It's too funny what those, her dad and George, play tricks on me at the dinner table. But anyway, it's important to know the, you know, the music theory and for the reasons why we play certain chord progressions in certain songs. And so what I'd like to ask you, I think mostly for a younger audience that, you know, younger kids that love music and want to potentially pursue that, whether it be a vocation or an application, why is it important to understand that music theory? Well, I believe, you know, you have different types of musicians, artists. You have singers, you have folks that play different instruments. But getting to really know your gift and making sure that you can have the malama that give, you know, you have so much time to understand your role and what you need to do to maintain and manage it. So you can, you know, you, you are able to create in so many ways that, you know, for me, when I first started, it's pretty much, you know, what I hear. I listened to Nina Kelly Vahmana on the Song Contest in 1999. And the school's were honoring of IE calls. And that was the first time I've ever heard such a beautiful female voice in the Hawaiian language. And so I videotaped that hoike and I would listen to it over and over and over again. And thankfully, dad taught me the chords of pua tuberose. And that's where it all started. You know, I pretty much mimicked and, you know, later on, you create your own style. Sure. But then with Western, you know, training and theory and all training, you get to really know your gift and how to take care of it. Because a lot of us, you know, when we perform, we don't get to know our voices. And sometimes we ruin, you know, our gifts because we don't know the proper way to preserve the gift. So that's one of the most important reasons why I wanted to go back to school. It's good for you. You know, for my own experience, I remember with, you know, Papa K, you pretty much, you know, to your uncle George and myself and uncle Wayne Reese, we were the trio. Right. Basically in those days, and we were like, what, 16, 17 years old, he would just give us a song. Here's your part. Here's your part. Play this chord, play that chord, play that chord. That was it. There was no reason as to why just do it. And I think, you know, at that time, he was just trying to get a repertoire built up and get us out and performing. And so it just went for 25 years and we just, you know, added to the repertoire, never really worrying about needing to know why we're doing this, why that, you know, how do you arrange parts? How do you arrange chordal progressions, et cetera, et cetera? Until the day came, and I think it was, for me, it was 1997. And I had an opportunity to teach. And then all of a sudden, I realized that how am I going to do that? You know, what if they ask me a question, a music theory question? I don't know the answer, you know? And so that's when I realized I had to kind of do what you're doing now. And, you know, I didn't go to formal schooling, but I had to learn music theory. And I appreciate the learning curve that I had to go through, at least for me, and my experience. And maybe you can share with us how it's working for you, because you said you're in your junior year. For me, it allowed me to, if someone gave me a song right now, I'm very comfortable to take it and arrange it. I have, you know, no problems with that. And I think that was important given the fact that, you know, I'm out there teaching students that brand of music. So that was my experience. You know, what are you hoping to acquire? Well, when you have a person like Havana Lake, the guy is a genius, you know? We come across those people, you know, once in, you know, hundreds of years. And so, you know, given that opportunity with you and Uncle George, what a blessing, you know, to have. And it showed. You know, it showed through the music that you continue to perform, as well as the songs that Uncle George sang. Oh, yeah. You can tell. But I think in this time, you know, it's a different generation. And we do have the resources to learn from outside, vice versa, you know? So I, you know, I'm enjoying, I'm enjoying this new chapter that I'm in. It's, I'm not for sure what, you know, the future would be like. But I can say that now I'm realizing my purpose in music. And hopefully I can, you know, take that as motivation and learn as much as I can, you know? And education, you can't go wrong. I like what you're saying. It reminds me of, you know, that you're never going to be satisfied no matter. I mean, let's face it, you know, you came onto the scene and you were of a breath of fresh air, seriously. And the reason I say that is because and people viewing this know what I'm talking about. Here you are at age 16, you know, 17, 18, you come onto the music scene. And who at age 16 sings Huatuba Rose? Nobody. So, you know, my cut to you because you're speaking to your generation and the younger generation, they don't want to listen to old fogies like me. But, you know, you're carrying the torch and singing the same music but speaking to a much bigger audience. At least that's how I saw it. And I think a lot of my peers felt the same way. And so we were happy that someone of your generation was willing to pick the torch up, so to speak, of that kind of music, you know. Because, you know, when you think about it, during that period of time, you know, there was contemporary, there was all types of genres of music within Hawaii. Absolutely. And to have you come onto the scene and just take it right back to its roots, you know. Mahalo Nui for that right there. Thank you. And a lot has to do with my upbringing. Growing up on Molokai, my family, the connection that I have with my grandmothers, you know, Grandma Helm and Tutu. We're going to talk about them in the second half of the show. Yes, I can't wait. You know, we've got a special picture. I can't wait to do it, too. I can't wait. Well, let me move on. So, you know, I guess we answered question number three. How do you see this academic pursuit making you better in your craft in music? And I think you kind of just define that because as you gain the knowledge, it will. And that's the answer. Finding who I am as a musician, performer, artist, all of the above. Well, I mean, this is off the script, but I got to tell you, on behalf of the people of Hawaii, thank you, Mahalo Nui for being, you know, rooted in Hawaiian music and, you know, being the example for that generation and generations to come. Thank you. Okay. So, I'm going to ask this question and we have two minutes to break. I want to touch on your participation as the female vocalist with the string band revival and the sovereign strings. And I'm referring to an article just the other day. My wife and I were headed off to the big island to Kohala to participate in the Kamehameha Day celebration. And we're reading the Honohoa magazine, the in-flight magazine for Hawaiian Airlines. And there she was. The current issue had featured the sovereign strings. And I found it very interesting and informative to read. And so when we come back from the break right here, I'm going to have you share with our audience what was it like. And so sovereign strings, if I remember correctly from the article, is really the definition and opening the doors of what Hawaiian music was like in the 19th century. So we're talking about the 1800s. And so right here, we look forward to your sharing with us that experience and what kind of, you know, how did that make you feel as a musician? Well, where I think our break time is just about upon us. And my name is Walter Kauai, your host for Ukulele Songs of Hawaii. And our guest, our special guest artist is Raietea Helm, the pure voice of Molokai. We'll be right back. Aloha, this is Scott Perry, and I'm the host of Let's Talk Hawaii at Think Tech Hawaii. In this show, we're going to be speaking in English and Japanese. And I'm going to use my 30 years of experience to help many Japanese viewers improve their English skills, as well as learning many interesting things about Hawaii. You can catch my show every other Tuesday, 3 p.m. Hawaii time. See you then. Aloha, I'm Dennis Wong, a host here at Think Tech Hawaii, a digital media company serving the people of Hawaii. We provide a video platform for citizen journalists to raise public awareness in Hawaii. We are a Hawaii nonprofit that depends on the generosity of its supporters to keep on going. We'd be grateful if you'd go to ThinkTechHawaii.com and make a donation to support us now. Thanks so much. Aloha, my kakou. My name is Walter Kauai. I am your host today for Ukulele Songs of Hawaii. And joining me is our special guest, the pure voice of Molokai Raita Helm. So just before our break time, we're talking about this article I read in the Honohua Magazine. Talking about your participation as the female vocalist for what was called the sovereign strings. Can you share with us what that was all about? So a couple of years ago, I met Apuka Asing from a very talented family of Popakulea as well as Kalawahine. So Apuka introduced me to a luthier by the name of Kailen Rees, who has a shop over in Kailua. Nice, nice guy. And he discovers this story of a man named Mekia Kyalakai. And it all stems from this Martin guitar that was made in honor of Mekia that Elvis Presley played, Jimmy Buffett played, and nobody knew that. So it was a part of history that kind of was a little hidden. So Kailen puts together this group, this ensemble of talented musicians, and he asked me to be a part of it. And it all comes from the love that I have for Lina Machado, the songbird of Hawaii. And Lina had a beautiful relationship with Mekia. So Mekia Kyalakai was under Henry Berger during Queen Liliuokalani's time. And talking about music and the Kalakawa dynasty, a lot of different sounds from all over the world comes in. And Kalakawa as well as Liliuokalani, Like Like, Lileo Hoku, they're these sponges. And I mean, could you imagine being a part of a time where people are coming to the islands and influencing us with all these different instruments and sounds and dances? And then Hawaiian just recreates this beautiful sound. So during the late 19th century, you have this movement. And then during the overthrow, there's a group of traveling musicians that go outside to San Francisco, to the East Coast. And in their sovereignty movement, they share music. And being that it was a challenging time for them as their identities is being stripped away from them, the music and having that fire behind them, they create this beautiful sound that everyone in the world is listening to and being just enamored by these Hawaiians. And so I didn't know about this part of history. And I always question myself, where does this, you know, where do these voices come from, you know, the sounds and the sounds that I make when I sing. And, you know, when you look back at the history of our music, it's so rich. And it was such an honor to be a part of this project, this movement with sovereign strings. Well, they picked the right person. Well, you know, I really enjoyed reading the article. I mean, I knew more in a general sense about the music of that era, just because of the tremendous European influence, you know, you think of Henry Berger from Germany, and the kind of music that was introduced at Nalani Eha, the four royal composers. I mean, classical music. So what Raitia touched on is, you know, Kalakaua, Liliu, Ikelike, and Liliu Hoku, the four royal composers of Hawaii. I mean, they compose what we like to term today as classical Hawaiian music. And so I'm imagining, as you're sharing this story, thinking of these Hawaiians. It's a string ensemble, yeah, guitars, ukulele. Right. And how difficult it must have been for them, because the overthrow, yeah, and they're traveling over the world how their hearts must have been sad, and what the emotions they must have been feeling. But yet, they didn't allow themselves to let that stop them, and they continued to push and push and push. There's a lesson for Hawaiians, all of us today, that regardless of the challenges that we face in the world we live in today, that we must never let that prevent us from doing what we know is right to do. And again, mahalo to you for almost, okay, not 20 years. I won't say 20 years, 18 years in the business for Raitia. So by the time she graduates with her degree in music, I want to go back to that thought in music. And she didn't say it because she's humble, but I'll say it. Because the time is going to come because it happened to me. We reached a certain age in our musical career that perhaps we were being real with ourselves. Just by virtue of age and time, we not be able to physically perform like we were 40, 50 years ago. And so what do you do? Well, I can tell you what's going to happen in your case. I mean, we hope that you never retire from singing. But if you had the option that you chose to, you know, you're in your sunset years with that degree, and everything that you've experienced in life and having that knowledge that you've learned, you'll be able to teach. And teaching is an invaluable tool because you need to, and I'm going to pass this responsibility up to you. You need to start thinking about looking for someone if you haven't already thought. And put yourself in that role. You have to start thinking that way. I know you're young, but you know when Uncle K came in, your Uncle George and myself, he was only 32 years old. And so because I think he knew that it was going to take him the rest of his life to get us established in whatever, you know, so you should start thinking about that. I'm sure that's part of your pursuit in getting your education. But I feel that, you know, in a sense, we all have a kuleana to contribute in teaching because in each generation things change. You know, society changes, technology grows. And the folks of the previous generation has the kuleana to make sure that we maintain, you know, our culture and our identity. Our identities as Hawaiians. So I mean, I wouldn't necessarily say that, you know, being a teacher is the right fit. But, you know, that's why we have mentors, you know, and go mentor someone. Mentor. Go mentor someone. All right, we have our time is running out like I said at the beginning of the show. So I'm going to ask right here to grab her ukulele. Okay, got it. And quickly to introduce, we're going to play this song and maybe for the engineers out there, if they can you guys throw up on the screen this lovely picture that we had of right here, I think it must have been a, well, that's her family. So there's, you want to tell our viewers who they're looking at right now? Okay, so we're actually in Kalamaula on Molokai. And that's where my dad, the one with the hat grew up. He was born and raised on Molokai. That's grandma Helm next to Brada where daddy is holding Brada. Grandma Helm is from Hanna, Melanie Coco, married George Helm Sr. And then they moved to Molokai because, you know, they received Hawaiian homestead. Nice. And on the other side, while you have my oldest brother there, Carlton, in the middle. And then my mom's carrying me. And you look just like your mom. Oh, really? Okay, good. Well, sometimes I look like my dad. Some people, yeah, it all depends. And then my mom is from Kaua'i. So that's her mother Olga Puolani Kali of Hanna Pepe. So you know, this is a special image. And I just recently thought about it and having my grandmothers around, you know, growing up, although grandma Helm left us in 98 and tutu left us 10 years later in 2008. But I think of them all the time. And I know they're looking and they're very proud of what you've accomplished. Well, we're running out of time, folks. I think we have about a little over three minutes. So we want to do this song. Right here came to me a number of years ago, and she wanted to do a song and learn more about Uncle Kay. So we picked this song and she did record it on, was it your last CD? Yeah, her last CD. And I hear it all the time against a lot of playing time. It's the song is entitled Kaua'i. It takes us to the island of Maui and it speaks specifically about the Lake Family property up in Puolani, Mauka of Kaua'i. So we have it rehearsed this, but we're going to try. Yes, let's go for it. Have it right here, Helm and the beautiful Kaua'i. Well, our time is spent. Mahalo nui again. Nui nui mahalo to you right here. Thank you for joining us today here at Ukulele Songs of Hawaii. I'm your host, Walter Kaua'i. Until next time, aloha no.