A cultural delegation presents Aloha Day, an immersion into Hawaii’s rich culture.
On August 13th, the US Embassy and binational centre ICANA (Instituto Cultural Argentino Norteamericano) hosted Aloha Day, a five-hour exposition designed to bring the spirit of Hawaiian culture to Argentina.
At the beginning of the event, presenters elaborated on the word aloha, one that takes on a variety of meanings, including simple greetings such as “hello” and “good-bye,” as well as more abstract characteristics, such as those of kindness and generosity. The presenters stressed that, when uttered, the word must “come from the heart.” The inauguration was conducted by Chad Baybayan, cultural ambassador from Hawaii and a special guest of honour.
Aloha Day consisted of a series of workshops, performances, and, last but not least, a special culinary tasting. After all, according to Mr. Baybayan, one of the ways in which one can manifest the kindness and generosity implied by aloha is in “the way they treat their stomach.” The tasting was organized by Chef Mun, of the Buenos Aires restaurant Casa Mun, and consisted of typical Hawaiian dishes such as Kalua Pig and Haupia, a pudding made of coconut milk. During the tasting, entertainment was provided by UKU!, a local band that specializes in performing Hawaiian music. An exhibition of traditional Hawaiian canoes was also on display.
Next was a presentation of hula dancing, the well-known dance form that originated in Hawaii. As described to the audience, the dance is performed mainly as a form of entertainment and as a tribute to nature and the local deities. The dance was performed to the tune of Pua Hone, a classic Hawaiian song.
Following the performance, the crowd was able to choose the manner in which they wished to conclude their Aloha experience. Workshops on the making of lei (floral necklaces) and hula dancing were provided, as well as a lecture delivered by master navigator Baybayan.
What struck me most about those organizing the event was their desire to share the culture of Hawaii with the Argentine public. Neal Murata, Cultural Attaché for the United States Embassy, said that while the embassy “constantly organizes cultural events of this nature, each focusing on a specific minority group of the United States,” Aloha Day was special since it represented “the first time we bring to Argentina the culture of Hawaii.” He added that “the embassy is trying to emphasize and strengthen the historic link that exists between Hawaii and Argentina.”
Another case in point is Mariano Larghi. Mr. Larghi lived in Hawaii for ten years, and for seven of those years paddled with local club Manu o Ke Kai. When he and his wife decided to come back to their native Argentina, Mr. Larghi, driven by his passion, sought to find a way to bring the sport of Hawaiian canoeing to Argentina. The fruit of his efforts is nothing short of extraordinary. After receiving a licence to reproduce canoes from a US designer, he founded a club named in honour of his former one and began to construct canoes. Following suit were three more clubs Ohana O Ke Kai, Nalu Kai Makani, and Mauna Kea Canoe Club Bariloche, all established in Argentina. He currently manufactures canoes for all four of the clubs.
Chef Mun noted that while there are many cultures that define the various communities that comprise the United States, these cultures are usually thought of as one, uniform “American” culture. As a result, Hawaii’s culture is often misinterpreted, and events such as Aloha Day are opportunities to demystify and show “the true nature of Hawaiian culture.” Mr. Baybayan added that “events like these are important for communities to understand the much larger context of the world they live in.”
Giving added significance to the event, however, is the strong (and largely unknown) historic link that exists between the US state of Hawaii and the nation of Argentina. In 1818, the Franco-Argentine corsair Hipólito de Bouchard came to Hawaii aboard La Argentina. The locals that approached him in their canoes told Bouchard and his crew that another ship, once Spanish but now in the possession of King Kalameha I, was anchored at harbour. He soon found out that the ship happened to be nothing less than the Argentine ship Santa Rosa, whose crew, in an act of mutiny, had left Chile and arrived in Hawaii, where they sold the ship to the Hawaiian king and sought refuge in the paradisiacal islands. In order to reclaim property belonging to his homeland, he bought the ship back from Kamehana and signed a treaty with him that made Hawaii (then a kingdom) the first non-Latin American country to recognize the Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata (Argentina’s predecessor) as an independent nation. Only in 1821 did Portugal follow suit, and later Brazil, the United States, and Great Britain.
The event was received warmly by the audience. Francisco, 24, said that he was mainly attracted to the musical aspect of the event, since one of his main hobbies is playing the ukulele. “It was great to hear the band and the musical performances, especially because of my hobby. But the quality of everything, on the whole, was superb: the food and the dancing – it was all great.”
Hopefully the spirit of aloha will continue to live and grow in Argentina!
Article taken from here.
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