[99th Cruise Report]Aloha and Traditional Hawaiian knowledge Kaleo Ten (Creative Director of the Olohana Foundation)

Nov.28th

On our way to our final port of call, Honolulu, Creative Director of the Olohana Foundation Kaleo Ten, and his student Dezzi Synan spoke to passengers about traditional Hawaiian knowledge and ceremonies. Growing up in the shadow of the Koolauloa mountain range on the island of Oahu, Kaleo spent 10 years traveling the world as a pro dancer, but he decided to return to Hawaii to learn more about his own roots and heritage. As he told the passengers, “in Hawaii you can often hear the worlds ‘Aloha’ and ‘Mahalo’. Aloha means the breath of life and represents the four cardinal directions, and Mahalo expresses thanks and gratitude to all things.” In addition to this, Kaleo also introduced a song that is sung to greet the sun when it rises in the morning, providing another facet to our last port of call in Hawaii.