Pōpoloheno – Songs of Resilience & Joy

Saturday, August 16, 2025, 7:30PM

Leeward Community College Theatre
96-045 Ala ʻIke Street, Pearl City, HI 96782

## A Celebration of the African Experience in Hawaiʻi

“A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” This quote, famously penned by Marcus Garvey, conveys the inspiration for Pōpoloheno – Songs of Resilience & Joy, a celebration of the African experience in Hawaiʻi. The project is produced by Māhealani Uchiyama, a former Hawaiʻi resident and quite possibly the only lineally recognized Kumu Hula of African descent.
Pōpoloheno is named after the pōpolo, a black colored berry which is found throughout Polynesia. It is valued for its medicinal qualities. In Hawaiʻi it has become associated with people of African descent because of its rich, dark coloring. Due to subsequent colonial thoughts and practices, the term has since been used as a pejorative. The project is reclaiming the word and honoring the positive meanings of the pōpolo.

For information on when tickets go on sale in Hawaii, you can call the box office at: 808-455-0380 . At the time of this posting, only San Francisco tickets are on sale. Make sure you purchase tickets for the Hawaii show and not the San Francisco show!!!

For more information about this event visit: https://centerforinternationaldance.org/popoloheno/