Kīpuka Moʻolelo
Kīpuka Moʻolelo is a storytelling podcast that centers Native Hawaiian voices, histories, and lived experiences through intimate conversations rooted in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and ʻike kūpuna. Each episode creates space for ʻike, memory, and manaʻo to be shared across generations, strengthening cultural connection and contemporary understanding.
Kīpuka Moʻolelo
Kalena Silva
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In this episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, revered scholar and cultural practitioner Kalena Silva shares how his grandmother’s Hawaiian language and a childhood encounter with oli set him on a lifelong path of education, chant, and hula. From early lessons at home to advanced study in Hawaiian language and ethnomusicology, Kalena reflects on the teachers, kūpuna, and cultural experiences that shaped his understanding of Hawaiian arts.
He also offers rare insight into his four decades as a Merrie Monarch judge, witnessing the evolution of hula and the resurgence of archival knowledge across generations. With warmth and depth, Kalena speaks to the heart of kuanaʻike Hawaiʻi—the worldview sustained through pilina, gratitude, and the continuing legacy of our kūpuna.
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This episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo is a production of ʻŌiwi TV, a non-profit organization dedicated to amplifying ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, community voices, and ʻike Hawaiʻi through culturally grounded storytelling.
For more episodes, original series, and live programming, visit oiwi.tv and follow ʻŌiwi TV on social media.