Tao Dance Theatre
Holly Chung, left, and Peter Rockford
Espiritu perform in "Kala'au."
War chant opens
By Alisa Lavelle
‘ethnic revolution’
Star-BulletinIn a raindrop a whole world can be seen, it's been said. The Tau Dance Theater's Cultural Slam program can be described this way. In 15 performances by local groups, billed as "an ethnic revolution," a world of performance possibilities will be revealed.
In Cultural Slam, many cultures, time periods and the arts of singing, dance and music will be revisited and reinterpreted tomorrow and Saturday at the Leeward Community College Theatre.
Take the opening performance. A world premiere, "Kala'au," sounds familiar, but new. It begins with the "Hawaiian War Chant."
"The original song is a love song written by Prince Leleiohoku, brother of King Kalakaua and Queen Lili'uokalani," said Peter Rockford Espiritu, Tau founder and director and producer of the Slam.
"This song is not of our age, time or interpretation," said Vergel Jepas, guitarist and vocalist for Chant, the group performing the song.
After listening to the song repeatedly, the group -- Jepas, Darren Porlas, Charles Timtim, Ben Taaca, Carl Fidel, Tanner Henderson and Alvin Paguio -- decided to do it their way, keeping Hawaiian tradition and the song's original meaning in mind.
The group normally classifies its music as "poi-dog rhythm and blues," but will start the war chant with a cappella vocals, before bringing in the soft accompaniment of a guitar. "This is an artistic stretch for us," Timtim said.
"I worked on it like it was my wedding song," Jepas said. "We wanted it to be tender and romantic. So unlike the Waikiki sound with the uli-ulis and bamboo sticks."
Those instruments were used in 1936 to jazz up the melody and rhythms of the 1860 song originally called Kaua I Ka Huaha'i. The lyrics never changed, but the glottal stops in the words gave the illusion of a warlike theme, a motif that has stuck to this day.
Following Chant's intro, the Tau Dance Theater Co. will deliver a "Stomp"-like performance with Hawaiian influence. Espiritu choreographed the piece, which will have dancers dressed in combat boots and short ti-leaf skirts.
Another world premiere called "Sakura" combines the koto and sitar playing of Ranga Pai and the Tau dancers.
Ranga Pai uses North Indian, Japanese and Indonesian instruments fused with jazz harmonies, Latin rhythms and New Age sounds in a popular Japanese song about cherry blossoms.
Espiritu said he wanted to show what the almost-all-local artists could accomplish together or individually if given the opportunity.
"I wanted to do something that was mixing and bridging," Espiritu said. "I wanted to push the envelope while maintaining the lines of culture and tradition."
Diane Letoto, founder of the Phoenix Dance Chamber, saw the program the same way.
"When I look at this diverse concert and display of many cultures that make up Hawaii and America, I see who we are here," Letoto said.
The Phoenix Dance Chamber will do a Mongolian chopstick dance called "Kuaizi Wu." The dance celebrates the expansive grasslands of Northern China and Inner Mongolia, and the Mongolian fondness for dancing and singing after meals.
"It musically starts off at a slower pace to capture the grasslands feel with a strong melody, then picks up to a lively fast-pace rhythm," Letoto said.
The program's performers know Espiritu through reputation or personal relationship.
"We've always like working with Peter because of his artistic vision," said Chizuko Endo of the Taiko Center of the Pacific. "We get to get together and share our talents and gifts."
The taiko group will dedicate an original drum piece called "After" as a reflection of events surrounding the loss of a friend. The group will also perform a traditional song honoring Japanese warriors who ride horseback while shooting arrows. The song, "Yabusame," comes from the Suwa region, or Japanese alps.
Espiritu hopes the audience will walk away with the wonder of many cultures.
"They should expect different, which is very Hawaii," Espiritu said. "This is very much like what-do-you-have and what-I-have, work together, then share."
Other collaborators and performers include the Native American Dancers doing a grass dance; Compania Miguel, led by founder Michael Leong, performing flamenco; Halla Huhm Korean Dance Studio's Halifu Osumare's interpretation of a Nigerian goddess, using Cuban movement; Halau Hula 'Olana in a traditional Hawaiian dance; and former Paul Taylor Dance Co. member Rachel Berman performing a dance influenced by India, hula and sign language, set to the music of a cello.
Cultural Slam
Concert time: 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday
Click for online
calendars and events.
