Hawaiian family to share songs of love at ‘Na Mele Aloha’

Newcomers might be surprised by the large number of Hawaiians living and thriving here, but the connection is so strong that the valley's Hawaiians have dubbed Las Vegas "The Ninth Island."

From 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday a local family is scheduled to share songs and dances from the islands in a performance called "Na Mele Aloha" at the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive.

The title of the performance translates as "Songs of Love." Gary Haleamau, his wife, Sheldeen, and their 15-year-old son, Kurin, plan to perform songs from all eight islands. They are set to be accompanied by students from Sheldeen's Halau Hula O' Kaleimomi Hula School, a dance school she runs from their home in the southwest area of the valley.

"We don't advertise the halau; it's just word of mouth," Sheldeen said. "There are a couple of websites with information about different schools in the state, but we don't have our own site. We've never needed one."

The family members have been performing and recording since before they moved to Las Vegas in 1999. Gary has been playing slack-key guitar since he was 8. The playing style involves strings loosened and tuned lower than classical guitar.

Sheldeen plays the ukulele, and Kurin plays the upright bass.

They have performed several times at the Winchester Cultural Center and are looking forward to returning.

"We love it there," Sheldeen said. "We've sold out nearly every time we've played there."

Sheldeen teaches hula nearly full time in addition to her night job auditing for a major Strip casino.

She said hula dancing is not simply rhythmic movement set to music. It is a language of its own with movements and gestures telling a story.

"We'll start each mele, or song, with a description of what it is about," Sheldeen Haleamau said. "We don't break down the individual hula movements, but we let people know what the song is about."

Local arts blogger Brian "Paco" Alvarez is excited about the show and considers the Haleamaus a local treasure.

"They really play beautifully, and they know the rich history of what they're doing," Alvarez said. "There isn't a bigger expert on Hawaiian culture in Las Vegas than Gary Haleamau."

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 on the day of the show.

For more information, visit clarkcountynv.gov or call 455-7340.

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.