Wednesday night was the first Slack Key Guitar Show at West Maui’s Napili Kai Beach Resort since the August 8 wildfires that destroyed almost all of nearby Lahaina.
The evening began with a Hawaiian chant from Wainani Kealoha (who later performed some extraordinarily graceful hula).
and a thank you to the audience for coming out to the first show following a tragedy that took nearly 100 lives, gutted Lahaina’s treasured historical landmarks and razed the homes of thousands of people, including several workers at the resort.
Having driven past Lahaina and seen some of the destruction first-hand on my way to Napili, I was expecting to be a little emotional at the show. But when George Kahumoku Jr., the regular Wednesday night Slack Key show leader, took the stage I began to lose it.
Kahumoku, a multiple Grammy Award winner, said he was dedicating his first song to the people of Maui who had lost so much on that terrible, indescribable day. He proceeded to strum the opening chords of ‘Aloha ‘oe,” a song written by Lili’uokalani, the Hawaiian queen imprisoned by United States army when the U.S. illegally annexed the long-standing, independent nation of Hawai’i.
“Aloha ‘oe, Aloha ‘oe,” he sang. “One fond embrace, E ke onaona noho i ka lipo (Ere I depart), Until we meet again.”
I thought of loved ones who will never again feel that fond embrace of a lost son or daughter, or mother, or favourite uncle.
CLICK HERE FOR A YOU TUBE VIDEO OF THE CONCERT
Shem Kahawai’i, George Kahumoku Jr. and Wianani Kealoha perform at the Napili Kai Beach Resort Slack Key Guitar Show on Nov. 1, 2023. JIM BYERS PHOTO
As Kahumoku sang (along with the talented Shem Kahawai’i), I thought back to our drive past Lahaina a few hours prior to the show. As we made our way along the bypass road high in the hills above town, it was impossible not to see the burned out, blackened fields and the rubble of what were once homes where families ate meals together and slept and played music. Looking at nearby homes that were seemingly untouched by the fires, it was also impossible not to think about the arbitrary nature of a fire, or other disasters.
In my mind, I started to recite the first few words of Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.” But I quickly stopped myself, because this is not the best of times for anyone in Hawai’i or Maui. The pain is still raw, the emotions still run high.
I was torn with the idea of coming here so soon after the fires. I appreciate the views of locals who want Maui to turn away from mass tourism and embrace a lifestyle and a way of doing business they feel would be more sustainable. That’s something the powers that be need to explore. But right now, tourism is still the biggest industry in the state. If people don’t visit, the lovely woman who served us our dinner last night doesn’t have a job. That means she can’t help feed her family, or perhaps support a friend who needs a place to stay while they wait for someone, anyone, to build them a new home.
So, I am here. I’m not prying into private affairs and feelings. But, as a long-time journalist with a job to do, I’m also briefly talking to merchants to find out how their business is doing. Most say they’re beginning to see some improvement, but that there is a long way to go.
Learning to make a lei at the Outrigger Ka’anapali Beach Resort, Maui, Hawaii.
I wasn’t sure I should write this little story. As I have said before in previous posts, the fires took away a place I loved to visit for a walk or a shopping trip or a seaside meal. Many people in Lahaina, and in the Kula region of upcountry Maui, where they also suffered devastating fires, lost everything.
I feel I did the right thing in visiting this week. Being back here renews my deep-seated love for Maui and her people, and makes me want to help even more.
I think respectful, polite visitors should come and support the Maui economy. Stay and dine at a resort, but also eat at a local place, such as Joey’s Kitchen here in Napili, where we enjoyed a great lunch yesterday.
That’s my opinion, but I respect those who disagree.
We depart for the mainland tomorrow. Much aloha to everyone in Hawai’i, and especially here on Maui.
Note: The Slack Key show runs every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The Sea House Restaurant at Napili Kai Beach Resort serves wonderful meals and is just a few feet from the beach. Sunsets are stunning.
