Help Us Complete The Creation of Pōpoloheno!

My name is Māhealani Uchiyama, award-winning choreographer, dancer, musician, one of very few widely recognized Kumu Hula (hula educator) of African descent, and the producer of the upcoming song creation project Pōpoloheno - Songs of Resilience & Joy. This is an important undertaking, to debut in San Francisco in partnership with the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, that honors the unsung achievements of people of African descent in post-contact Hawaiian history.

There is indeed a rich history of scholars, educators, healers, musicians, entrepreneurs and peace seekers in Hawaiian history, most of which is not well known. Pōpoloheno is an effort to create songs to celebrate these wonderful stories. Many world-class musicians, choreographers, culture bearers, and dancers have stepped forward to support Pōpoloheno, including those who have won Grammy and Nā Hoku Awards. A music collection will be released this June, with a world-wide premiere of the performance August 1 and a second performance August 16 on Oahu.

The project has been supported by grants from The Gerbode Foundation and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. We were also granted $25,000 federal funding, after a competitive application process, in late 2024. Unfortunately, due to forces beyond our control, our grant from the National Endowment for the Arts has been officially cancelled.

We are well on our way into the culminating phase of this important cultural project. If the federal government can't support our work, we are hoping that our individual supporters will pick up the slack. Any amount is appreciated. Help us bring this project to the stage and this music to your ears!