Kealoha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kealoha | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Genre(s) | Slam Poetry Spoken word Performance Poetry |
| Occupation(s) | Slam Poet Speaker Educator Actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Website | Official Site |
Kealoha (translation: "The Love") is the stage name of slam poet Steven Kealohapau`ole Hong Ming Wong, founder of HawaiiSlam, First Thursdays, and Youth Speaks Hawai`i. He has been described as Hawai`i's "unofficial slam poet laureate."[1] With a degree in Nuclear Engineering from MIT in 1999 [1], Kealoha has developed a poetic style that combines analysis with creative writing to investigate social, personal, and philosophical themes.[2]
His best known work is the performance poem Dichotomy (a.k.a. Hawaiian in the 21st Century), an identity piece that demonstrates conflicting arguments within the Native Hawaiian community. Written in 2004, Dichotomy has been used in classrooms throughout the state of Hawaii to spark debate and dialogue within Hawaii's youth.[3] Dichotomy debuted outside of Hawaii in 2007 at the National Poetry Slam, helping Kealoha to place 8th individually out of over 350 of the world's best slam poets.[4]
Other signature pieces include Recess (an uplifting piece that reminisces about playing on the playground and warns the audience not to fall into complacency), The Male Feminist (an empathetic male's perspective on violence towards women), and Destiny (a philosophical investigation of the popular notion of destiny).[5] [6]
Kealoha currently lives in Honolulu, and serves as HawaiiSlam's SlamMaster. He hosts the First Thursdays poetry slam at the Hawaiian Hut, which is the largest registered poetry slam in the world (with an average attendance of 600+).[7] He did nuclear fusion research, management consulting, and surf instructing prior to making a living as a professional slam poet.[8]
[edit] Career
- Appeared on the National Poetry Slam Finals Stage three times (2004, 2005, 2007).
- Featured at numerous venues throughout America and Europe including the Nuyorican Poets Cafe (New York City), New Jersey Performing Arts Center (Planet Hip-Hop Festival), the Schiffbau (Zurich, Switzerland), and the NFL Pro Bowl halftime show.
- Poetic vocalist for Henry Kapono's Wild Hawaiian project, whose album was nominated for a Grammy.
- Wrote, performed in, and co-directed the State of Hawaii's "Can't Fool the Youth" anti-smoking campaign.
- Featured 3 times on the "World's Greatest Poetry Slam" DVD series (2004, 2005, 2007) and starred in the movie "Hawaii Slam: Poetry in Paradise."
- Has conducted workshops at over 100 schools, libraries, & prisons throughout his career.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Mar/28/en/hawaii803280312.html HawaiiSlam celebrating its fifth successful year - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper
- ^ [http://www.transitionhawaii.com/community/arts/profiles/kealoha_wong A Slam Dunk - Transition Hawaii: Inspiring Arts
- ^ [http://www.iolani.org/wn_usacad_100707_cp.htm Kealoha scores a SLAMdunk at `Iolani - `Iolani School Upper School Academics
- ^ [http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2007/10/19/lifestyles/news03.txt Acts and Openings Archives - Kauai Garden Island News
- ^ [http://www.honoluluweekly.com/archives/coverstory%20%202002/05-08-02%20Poetry/05-08-02%20Poetry.html Shaken, Not Stirred: Poets and the new poetry - Honolulu Weekly Archives
- ^ [http://www.molokaitimes.com/articles/51022235051.asp Ohana Poetry Night is slam dunk event - The Molokai Times - The Voice of Molokai
- ^ [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Jul/28/il/il01a.html National competition calls to Hawai'i slam poet - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper
- ^ [http://www.hanahou.com/pages/magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=177&MagazineID=9 Hana Hou: The Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines - Back Issues
- ^ [http://www.kealohapoetry.com Bio - Official Kealoha Website
