Nona Beamer: Hawaiian Elder

Summary:

Winner of a 2000 National Award from the Asian American Journalists Association. Nona Beamer was a revered Hawaiian elder and one of the last links to the art of Hawaiian storytelling, chant and traditional hula. She was also a talented musician and songwriter.

Website:

http://www.kbeamer.com/?q=node/16

Additional Credits and Funding:

Editor: Alyne Ellis, NPR's Cultural Desk
Nona Beamer Photo Credit: Heidi Chang
Many thanks to Nona Beamer for sharing her stories and music from "The Golden Lehua Tree" and to Keola Beamer for his live performance of "Pupu Hinu Hinu."

Timely on:

May: Great for Women's HIstory Month in March, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May or anytime of the year.

Tones:

Inspiring, Sound Rich, Thoughtful

Language:

English

Description:

Nona Beamer was a highly respected kupuna (Hawaiian elder), known for her efforts in preserving Hawaiian culture. Beamer was a master of Hawaiian storytelling, chant and traditional hula. As a child, she learned how to chant to the ocean from her own grandmother, Helen Desha Beamer. Beamer was the matriarch of one of Hawaii's most respected musical families. And the mother of talented musicians--Keola and Kapono Beamer.

The gifted teacher, songwriter and performer, recorded a CD with her son, Keola, called "The Golden Lehua Tree: Stories and Music from the Heart of Hawaii's Beamer Family." This piece includes interviews with Nona Beamer, Keola Beamer and hula master Maile Loo.

Nona Beamer passed away on April 10, 2008, leaving behind a rich legacy of Hawaiian storytelling, music and hula, including her unique knowledge of 242 different types of ancient hulas.

Originally broadcast on NPR's "Morning Edition" in 2000.

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