Category Archives: Articles and Interviews

May 25, 2015 – Performances at the MN Zoo!

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OPUAAloha friends! hope you can join us on Monday, May 25 as we help welcome 5 Hawaiian Monk Seals to their new home at the Minnesota Zoo! Performances by Halau o Napunaheleonapua (10am & 11am) and Lau Hawaiian Collective (2:30pm & 3:30pm) – more info at http://support.mnzoo.org/monkseals/

Monday, May 25
2:30-3:00 & 3:30-4:00
Lau Hawaiian Collective Performances at the Minnesota Zoo
Welcoming Hawaiian Monk Seals Nani, Koa, Ola, Opua, and Paki
Lau Musicians: David Burk, Rahn Yanes, Dave Kapell, Andrew Kane, & Kim Sueoka
Performance area: Discovery Bay (indoor stage)
Tickets: LHC’s performances are open to all zoo-goers (once you are in the zoo, you don’t have to buy an additional ticket for our performances).

MPR’s Top 9 Minnesota Arts Stories in 2013

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Lau Hawaiian Collective named among Minnesota Public Radio’s top 9 Minnesota Arts Stories in 2013

Nathaniel Minor, Minnesota Public Radio News (Arts and Culture), December 23, 2013
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Without a doubt, the ongoing Minnesota Orchestra lockout and the departure of beloved music director Osmo Vänskä headlined arts news in Minnesota this year. But beyond that, our reporters found many other compelling stories that deserve another look.

1) A little Hawaii, when we needed it most  Continue reading →

Minnesota Public Radio Feature

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Minnesota Sounds and Voices
Dan Olson, Minnesota Public Radio, February 13, 2013
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The closest many people in the continental United States come to the Hawaiian Islands and their music is likely from poor interpretations offered by television shows or old movies. Indeed, for years Elvis Presley’s stereotypical rendition of Blue Hawaii, from the 1961 film, probably was the sound mistaken for the real thing.

Minnesotans who want to hear a more authentic sampling of Hawaii’s rich musical heritage can take heart in the work of the Lau Hawaiian Collective.  Continue reading →

Minnesota Guitar Society E-Interview

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Guitarist (Newsletter of the Minnesota Guitar Society), Volume 28 No. 1, January/February 2012
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Q: How did the Water Songs project come about?
A: I was interested in creating a concert program and recording of Hawaiian music that would be appealing and relevant to Minnesotans. I brainstormed ideas for a project that could weave music, history, and current issues together, but couldn’t seem to find just the right theme. Then one day while driving to St. Paul, I found myself chanting “No ke aha ka wai,” a hula ‘ili‘ili (hula with water-washed pebbles) about fresh water that my late teacher Pohaku Nishimitsu taught me and some of my Rose Ensemble colleagues several years ago. It all suddenly fit together: Hawaii and Minnesota historically and presently share a love and reverence for fresh water—why not begin illustrating that connection by bringing some of Hawaii’s fresh water-themed songs to Minnesota? Continue reading →