David Malo 66th Banquet

Since 1957, the Rotary Club of West Honolulu, District 5000, annually recognizes a leader of Hawaiian ancestry who has made a difference in Hawaii; someone whose accomplishments have epitomized the idea of high achievement in such fields as art, music, dance, education, science, government, religion, business or sports. The award was named after David Malo, an important Hawaiian minister and leader in the 1800's who exemplified the ideal of high achievement and community service for the betterment of the world around us.  

 

This year, we celebrate the accomplishments of Imaikalani Kalahele, a Kanaka Maoli (native Hawaiian) poet, artist, and musician whose work has appeared in anthologies of native Hawaiian literature, such as Mälama: Hawaiian Land and Water (1985), and in the journal ̒Ōiwi: A Native Hawaiian Journal. Kalahele’s book Kalahele (2002) collected his poetry and art in a polyphonic performance that mixed English, Hawaiian Creole, and his indigenous language.