Hilo's Talented Tita,

KapulanaKehau Tamur'e

Growing up along the Eastern coastline of the Big Island, UTOPIA Hawai’i’s newest member, Kehau Tamur’e is a Hilo girl through and through. In October, I sat down with the Diva herself at her lovely home in Papakolea to find out how this consummate songbird came to be. Like green gems sparkling through the dark Hilo lava in the noon sun, Kehau’s eyes light up when talking about her Tutu who took her under her wing. Affectionately known as Mama Hilo, Kehau was also a loving caregiver to friends living with AIDS and used her family’s knowledge of la‘au lapa‘au to help ease their suffering. She says her life has been interesting, and it continues to be interesting as well as challenging. Luckily Kehau is surrounded by her many sons and daughters whom she jokingly refers to as her Pitbulls! Within weeks Na Palapalai’s (www.napalapalai.com) debut album is scheduled for release, and as I was interviewing her, I could not help but feel this talented musician was destined for greatness.

What was it like growing up with your Tutu?

Very different. I mean compared to how I know my friends growing up, it was very confined. I don’t know how to explain it.

Was it hard growing up in Hilo?

Actually no, it was really easy growing up. The hardest part was going to school because I didn’t speak English.

Oh, fo’ real? Hawaiian was your first language?

Hawaiian-Tahitian. That was hard. Even still to this day I sometimes have a hard time!

So was the Hawaiian that your Tutu taught different from the Hawaiian they now teach in the University?

Very much so.

Like how?

Now they use so much structure. It’s like speaking English in Hawaiian, whereas before I was taught to use the least amount of words, only because the tongue was strong and you could actually do something to somebody by saying certain things. With Tahitian they used to speak it like pig-Latin so we wouldn’t understand, but I caught on real fast.

Did your brothers and sisters grow up with you?

No. Well I did grow up with them, but I was going back and forth between Tutu’s house.

Why do you think your Tutu chose you?

Now you getting real deep with me, okay! I don’t think you want to print this all out! (cracks up) I guess I was the chosen child to carry on…

The traditions?

Yes, Kapulana ke Akua.

Wow, that’s pretty heavy kuleana for a child.

Um yeah, but you don’t know that kine stuff when you’re young. You think everybody goes through that, you think everybody’s home is the same way, you know? So you just go and do what you gotta do. I didn’t realize this till I was older and went over to other people’s houses. Then I got confused and would ask myself, ‘why do I know this,’ or ‘why do I know that?’ But as you grow older you understand more and why this is that. Not too many people can be raised like that, you know, like being prepared for things to come. I didn’t realize I was going through all of that until the ending part.

So what’s one of your favorite memories growing up in Hilo?

Merrie Monarch, when it was at the Hilo Civic. That was the original Merrie Monarch.

Was it different from now?

It was totally different. It was like pageantry! You know, it was competition but it wasn’t—it was parading! Like watching drags queens just parading for days. I mean, that’s how everybody wanted to be a drag queen! And Merrie Monarch lasted two weeks. You had all kinds of things going on—the Kalakaua beard competition, had the queen gowns, lei making, Polynesian revues. That’s when a lot of halaus really got started. You went home into your garage, got people together, jus’ slapped one show together, and then compete against each other. And that was the duration of the whole Merrie Monarch.

So there were a lot of Polynesian groups?

Oh yes. At that time Uncle Johnny’s halau was called, “Johnny Lum Ho’s Polynesian Studio” and Ray Fonseca’s Tahitians. And that’s how it started and it just kept building and building.

You can still see it today with Uncle Johnny. I remember the first time I danced at Merrie Monarch, he did that grand tribute to the pa‘u riders in parades. He had like 50 girls on stage with bright, bright dresses.

That’s Uncle Johnny!

Makes you feel proud, though, that you from Hilo.

Oh yeah.

It’s different from O‘ahu. Even the music, there’s a difference. When did you get started with music?

That was my whole being raised. I started dancing, but the reason I got into singing on stage was because one of our musicians was sick and couldn’t sing. We were doing a show, and I knew the song… So put 2+2 together and that’s how it started! That was my world debut.

Did you ever live on Kona side?

No, but I would have dreams that I lived on a ranch, watching the cowboy’s coming home with all my cows, ringing the bell, “Come and get it!!!”

So when was the first time you knew that you were ‘different’?

Oh please! Honey, I came out with pigtails, trust me! Just ask my mom.

What you mean?

My mom is, like, way beyond a fag-hag! When my sister was born, I used to dress her up as a Barbie doll. Hair, make-up, everything, and I was in 6^th grade doing this kine stuff to her. She hated it, you know!

And your mom was all cool?

She never knew till after awhile. Well she knew, but we never talked about it. And I never knew the whole thing until I came up here. It’s so different. Like in Hilo, I was the loudest thing! And then I come over here, and I’m sooo the most closeted person here! But then I guess that is what has made me, me—just tita! I’m not a loud queen. I don’t consider myself a “queen,” I’m just a tita!

Did you have any trouble at school?

Nope. In fact I love sports! Me and my twin brother became all-star baseball players. I was all-star pitcher, he was all-star catcher.

That’s awesome!

I was into the butch thing, I always hung out with the boys, not the girls. The girls had to be real tough!

Wow, how was football?

It was interesting. It was also weird how they accepted me. That was how the “Mama Hilo” came about. I was like the Mama for the whole team. I also used to scrap every day.

How come you had to scrap?

Just because, I don’t know! Well, especially the silly people. If you would’ve acted up around me, you would get it! I’m serious, dirty lickin’s! I just had no time. But I was also into drama and arts and other kine stuffs.

So what made you move to Honolulu?

Actually, I used to go back and forth for a long time, like two gigs a week. All the money was going to airfare. It was like I was just doing free gigs. Then the music really started picking up and it was so hard to go back home. It’s still hard. We’re doing a lot of shows, which is good, but the entertainment life is hard. Entertainers don’t have medical, they don’t have a union, they have to pay for all kinds of stuff.

But as a musician, you have a more exciting life than a hula dancer.

I guess, I don’t know. I think it’s more scary. You stay on the stage while dancers just come and go! That’s why we like dancers most of the time, because of the fact they take away the attention from us. It took me a while to get over the fact that I am who I am in the public’s eye now.

Like what do you mean?

Like me being me and the whole acceptance of the public. It’s not common that you would see one queen come out and do something at the Waikiki Shell. But along the way, I guess I build my reputation of respect. You know, most people don’t know, but then most people know, but they don’t want to know. You know what I mean?

Yeah. I hardly see you out at the clubs.

Yeah, I don’t really hang out with all the queens, but don’t get me wrong, not ‘cause I’m shame. To me, I’ve always lived a private life.

You know, your voice is amazing. I sometimes close my eyes and see the old timers when I hear you sing. Do think that that is something that can be taught, or that it is a gift?

I think a little bit of both, but there is another key to it—the longing to do it. That all ties together. These 3 things help to even it out, and it helps you grow along the way. I have played with many musicians, and have been fortunate to play with my own childhood idols. I have learned from them and created my own style. And I guess that’s who I am today. See, I don’t want to go out there and sound just like Amy or go and sound like someone’s exact album. I want to come out and sound like me.

And you have your own style. You can totally see it everytime you play. You know, a truly memorable voice is a gift from God. But I’ve noticed many have a hard time balancing the kuleana and the mana that accompanies it.

That is actually true. A lot of my friends have gone through rough times.

Luckily you were raised with it, and it helped you to prepare for all of this.

Oh honey, you could never really be prepared! Really, as prepared as you are, something is always going to be messed up somewhere, you know? Just know that Plan A never works, Plan B might work, and Plan C is a collaboration of all ideas. Just make sure you got a Plan C for whatever’s coming!

Have you ever been nervous before you play?

Oh all the time. You know what, every time I go on stage, even Rainbow’s I get nervous.

Really?

It’s weird, yeah? That’s why Uncle Moon from Makaha Sons said I’m in the wrong business!! But he laughed and said “Don’t you ever leave!” I remember the worst performance was the 4^th of July, down at Kapono’s. We played right before Three Plus and a mixed crowd. They didn’t know the T, but you know, here they are waiting for reggae and we singing Hawaiian! Had our crowd and their crowd—that place was sooo packed, I nearly passed out! But when there are people around who I know, I feel more comfortable. You’ll never see me go around and talk with the people unless I know them. I won’t approach, I’ll just stay in my own place.

So what are your favorite Hawaiian songs at the moment?

Umm, I love “Nani Kaua‘i.” But I love so many songs. I cannot chose one over the other. They come in clusters. Groups of 3’s, yeah? Ooooh, getting into that Polynesian spirituality! You know, when I get into deep discussions with my children, I would tell them the Hawaiian stories. Growing up, those were my bedtime stories, like Pele, etc. Not the kine like Fantasyland, like Snow White. I never knew who she was. Mine was legends and voyages—that’s what I grew up with. And I love sharing those stories. I don’t know, that’s who I am.

When we were talking one time, you were telling me that you had to get used to the “comments” and just let it go when you moved up here. Could you explain some of that?

Well, you know in Hilo, we’re so closeted. I was the loudest thing down there. I would be the one they would tell to go clock the kane’s. But then I moved up here, I looked so closeted compared to everyone else. I used to ask myself, “what did I miss?” It took me a while to get used to it. I didn’t know nothing about ripping. You can ask Keao. When I first met him, I was so quiet. But then I learned to rip real fast. But about ripping, yeah you can rip, but after a while, that’s all you gonna be known for. It’s all about respect and getting it back.

So you and the group have just completed your own album. What other albums have you been a part of?

Of course with Akoni, Johnny Lum Ho, Bula Ka‘iliwai, J. Moki Cho.

And this is your first time that you are now the frontwoman of the trio. Are you excited for the CD to come out?

I’m actually nervous, you know. It’s like everything is pushed aside and now I’m up front! It’s like, oh no, I don’t want to go there, somebody come stand in front of me. Like I said, I don’t like the limelight. I like it, but I rather push someone into it instead of me. Most entertainers would be out there going going going, but not me.

What do you like doing with music?

I like creating. I like the whole drama of relating chords with singing. I’ll go back to what I learned...do you know every chord represents a different element in meditation? I like to relate the stories into the chords. You know the kine song that you hear and you like, woah!, and you get chicken skin. You understand the whole song and you don’t even know the words! All you do is tell them the title and you just go off in your mind and you get overwhelmed. And it’s so close to what your story is, that’s why I like remaining true to the music. I’ve done that maybe a couple of times. And you know the kine harmony that just makes your ear itchy and you get all giggly. I like the whole thing that it does to the body that just throws you off. You know, they could just be talking and then you just hit that note and they turn around and go, wow! Then you just carry on and you go hit something else and they go, woah! I like that. I just have to ack up once in awhile with my strum. Very low key, but I’m Tahitian too so I have a reason, okay!

Oh-kaaay! (we both crack up) Did your grandma teach you how to play?

I would watch and imitate her. I would play left hand because I’m left-handed, so it was like a mirror. I would sometimes feel out of place because everyone plays right hand, so I switched. That’s why my strum is upside-down if you noticed? It’s totally backwards.

So are we going to see some of that creativity on this album?

Pretty much. Our title track is called, “Makani ‘Olu‘olu.”

You wrote that?

Uh-huh. I was inspired by the wind that blows through this very window. And you going hear it too, we recorded the wind from here. It was a thing when I was growing up—you had to kahea to all the elements, letting them know where you are. Every district you would go and kahea to let them know who you are. And they would answer you back and let you know if this is the appropriate time to be in that district. I don’t know what happened that morning; I don’t remember doing any kahea, but she when jus’ hiki mai, hiki mai! So I just when listen, and all I thought about was this breeze. This was like in the wee hours of the morning when you supposed to be going sleep, yeah? And then I could hear this tune appear and the words was just coming out. And then I just started playing the music and my son was like, wow! You’re going to know what I say about relating the music to the chords of the elements and stuff, because of the ooh’s and aah’s.

Well, big mahalo’s for sharing yourself with us. In conclusion, I was wondering, what are some words of advice that you share with your children.

(smiling) “Ke ua nei.” You know what that means?

“It’s raining”?

Yeah, but do you know the deeper meaning?

No.

Okay, well, we are people born of the rain. You remember when we came over your house and it was raining, yeah? Remember we went to dash, but then it rained on us, so we had to come back! Well, “it’s raining” but it has the same meaning as “don’t come for me,” or “it’s raining now.” So actually it means, “it’s time.” It is time to do what you always wanted to do and just keep going like the rain. Ke ua nei!

E maururu, a hui hou,

ke Akua pu!

KupulanaKehau Tamur‘e