This month, UTOPIA Hawai‘i discovers one of the island’s best kept natural beauties…Maddalynn Ashton. From Wai’anae to Waikiki, we follow our kava princess and find out what is really behind the glamour . . . Ohh-Kaaay?

            This svelte and voluptuous Samoan beauty comes to UTOPIA Hawai‘i from the Leeward community of Wai’anae. Born under the sign of Capricorn, Maddalynn, or Maddie as she is affectionately known, lives up to the traits of that zodiac sign. Confident, strong-willed, calm, and hard working, she has really overcome some of those difficult obstacles that exist in today’s ever-evolving society. Maddie is transgendered, or what we call in Hawai’i, mahu—an exquisite example of a mahu, I just have to say.

            Born the third child in a family of six children, Maddie has come a long way to achieve the simple status that she now enjoys: being a Polynesian woman, who, on occasion, has been known to rock the house with her unique brand of entertainment.

            Since July of 1995 Maddie has been a cast member in one of Honolulu’s finest Female Impersonation Shows, The Gender Benders Lip Gloss Revue, as the “Statuesque Beauty: Maddalynn Ashton.” In 2000 she had joined another Female Impersonation Show, Viva Tropicana. Yet in the pursuit of greater things in life she had retired from both shows in the summer of 2001, though doing guest spots and special requests will always be something that she will indulge.

            One of the many themes that recurs in her life is the theme of things being kept “real.” I asked Maddie what it means to her to be keeping things “real,” and she replied:
            “Keeping things ‘real’ is all about being humble. One of the people who I feel is a role model to me is Lynda Brown (a.k.a. Shelrae Roberts). She is someone who always keeps it real! To me she is a queen figure that offers me advice and tells me like it is even at the expense of being brutal, because often, if not always, it’s the truth! That is one person who can put me in my place!

            “Another person who I consider a role model for myself is Aunty Nawahine. She is soooo down to earth! She doesn’t let shit get to her. That is what is what I mean about keeping it real. She keeps things that are important to her always important.

            “No matter what I do in life, or where I will go, I will always remember my family…where I came from… where I grew up… who my friends are… I guess in a word, being… how do you call it, grounded?”

            That works for me! Speaking of being grounded, nothing could be more grounding than eating Maddie’s favorite thing that there is to eat: Chicken Katsu Plate Lunch. “From where,” you ask? Wherever get good Chicken Katsu Plate Lunch! What is her favorite thing to drink? Sweetened Iced Tea with Lemon. Yum!

            In the few minutes out of a day that Maddie might have for herself you might catch her listening to Mary J Blige, Mariah Carey, Tamia, Whitney Houston, or Yolanda Adams, depending on her mood. Her favorite local artists are Ale’a, Fiji, Amy Hanaiali’i Gilliom, Robi Kahakalau, and Na Palapalai.

            I have really thought for hours about trying to write about a person who I love very much and who has so much compassion for others and still have energy to care for her three children. Yes you read correctly...three children! I am trying to capture, in a few paragraphs, who Maddalynn Sesepasara is, and for real kine, the truth is that there are so many facets, that pages of text, let alone paragraphs, could only begin to frame this diamond that we call Maddie.

            For Maddie one of her favorite quotes, with good reason, is, “Don’t judge a book by its cover, pick it up, open it, you might find that you’ll like what’s inside.”

- Monoiki