Head Rush: Hip Hop and a Hawaiian “Nation On the Rise”
After reading the article Head Rush, it made me think of the role that music plays in relation to the fight against subjugation and occupation. Imada refers to the reggae music of the oppressed Jamaicans and their fight for equality in the Caribbean to the fight for political sovereignty of the Native Hawaiians. Music has always been a good way for people to broadcast their fight for social equality and to promote a message of hope for the future.
The article discusses the band Sudden Rush and their ground breaking use of the Native Hawaiian language with American Hip Hop. The use and celebration of the Hawaiian language is an important part of cultural preservation. As the article stated, the teaching of the Hawaiian language was forbidden by the U.S. government until relatively recently. The tactic of outlawing native languages has been practiced all through history. It is a way of forcing assimilation onto native people. Conversely, Sudden Rush has infused Hawaiian culture with popular American culture as a way of moving forward from the illegal annexation of Hawaiian lands. They are helping to spread the message of hope and the fight against injustice. The widespread use and promotion of the Hawaiian language is crucial in keeping the spirit and culture of the native people alive.
For more information on Native Hawaiian language preservation check out http://www.ahapunanaleo.org/. Also, I have included a link to video proformances by Sudden Rush at http://kwxx.com/pages/2871666.php?
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I would like to expand on the medium of music as a tool to educate and spread a message. In particular, Veincent blatantly states, “You can go to school, but music is how people really listen.” Though I do not totally agree with this statement, because I believe there is a place for both school and music, music does indeed seem to be a very good way to reach out to the uninterested, unaware, and the unknowing. People can sing along and dance as the history-filled lyrics slowly work their way into the subconscious. Sudden Rush gets a “thumbs-up” in my book.
ReplyDeleteIt was only after reading this article by Imada that I had realized how closely related African Americans and Native Hawaiians were to each other. Imada states that, "Native Hawaiians had their land stolen away and the African Americans were slaves because of the white missionaries." Sudden Rush protests various ideas through their songs and seek to provide messages to kupuna and kamali`i alike. I remember listening and watching the music video to the song Ea and reacting to the strong protest rap that they were trying to get across. Not only does Sudden Rush keep the Hawaiian language alive in their music, but they also relay a positive message to the Native peoples.
ReplyDeleteLike robi, it wasn't until after reading the article did I see the similarities between Hawaiians and African Americans, and how the "white man" came and invaded. While in high school, I used to be a big fan of local music and listened to Sudden Rush and a few other local artists mentioned in the reading. Sudden Rush songs like "Polynesian Party" and "Ea" were my favorites. They spread the message to native Hawaiians to stand up and fight for what they believe in and to save their dying race. Their songs not only keep the language alive, but help lift the spirits of the older native Hawaiian generations
ReplyDeleteI definitely like the points made by robi and izanagi about the similarities between Native Hawaiians and African Americans. As a society, we often try to point out all the ways that we are different. However, when we sit down and think about it, we really are more similar than we are dissimilar. It's important to understand your own ethnicity, but it is equally important to understand and appreciate other ethnicities. I personally had never heard of Sudden Rush before this article (I'm from the mainland), but after visiting their website and reading more about them, I had a deep respect for what they do and the message they put out there.
ReplyDeleteImade also mentions that music is a way to express oppression and that is evident in Sudden Rush enlarging the "terrain of political resistance in Hawaii". Not only does their music allow people to "broadcast their fight for social inequality" and give Native Hawaiians a chance to see themselves in an alternative future where Hawaii is a sovereign country, but Sudden Rush's rap can also educate those that aren't too familiar with the Native Hawaiian struggle as cwkdias suggests. Even American tourists participated in the dancing during the Forever Protest Annexation play. We can doubt how much American tourists understand about the hardships that Hawaiians face, but through music, they can still get the message.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting note in the use of music to preserve language and culture is Capoeira in Brazil, which was a method for different African groups to keep their cultures together and eventually mix them up when brought to Brazil. Capoeira itself is a martial art with a strong musical component, some theorize that it comes from the traditions of tribal dances and was a way to hold on to culture while displaying it. Capoeira was eventually banned for different reasons (a deadly martial art that could be used to train fighters to rise up, for one) but there are similar parallels. Today, Capoeira has evolved into the national martial art of Brazil and has spread throughout the world, much like hip-hop can be found around the world.
ReplyDeleteSudden Rush was a part of the resurgence in Hawaiian culture in the 90s, and due to them there are numerous groups popping up today that carry on in the same tradition (Kamau, for one example.) They've certainly changed the landscape of Hawaii by bringing back politically charged compositions, which had been lying dormant for a good many years.
I realized that mostly every culture or past society that colonies or countries got invaded by another country. Some even to an extend where laws were created which prevented the practices of some language. I find laws like these foolish and dumb. But reading about how people or groups like Sudden Rush come up with ways to turn that around with music to connect people to their language makes me realize how important it is to voice your opinions to get your points and messages across to others through whatever mediums or tools possible.
ReplyDeleteAs everybody said above, Sudden Rush did an excellent job about spread Hawaiian was a kingdom and they are hoping to get the kingdom back. They used the lyric to express what Hawaiians are suffering after they are conquered by the USA government. The song EA really stunned me. It had a lot of responses from the mass.
ReplyDeleteBut what I am confused is why the sufferings of Hawaiians is from the USA. I just expressed my idea as an outsider. American definitely brought good technology to Hawaii, including medical technology. Don't Hawaiians can not afford to medication or some of them still refuse to the thing from the USA?