2012 Eisa Festival at KCC.
Photo: Chris Kwock
The Eisa Drumming Festival will bring its song and dance to the KCC graduation stage.
The Saturday after the 2013 spring commencement, the great lawn and stage will be filled again with food, dance, family and friends.
For the third year, the Okinawa Eisa Festival takes the spotlight. Be sure to arrive early, based on food sales from last years festival, about 3,000 people attended, according to Cybrarian, Shari Tamashiro. Food sales start at 5:30 p.m. and the program begins a little before 6 p.m.
The KCC culinary program and Chef Grant Sato will be making Miso Teriyaki Chicken, Okinawan Rafute (shoyu pork that’s made from pork butt) and Goya (Bittermelon) Champuru, which means “all mixed up” or stir fry, according to the Eisa Hawaiʻi Facebook page.
The short order station, along with bentos and salads will be available. KCC food sales will go back to support the culinary department.
The festival will have contemporary dance and traditional, like hula, throughout the years, it’s evolved.
“I wanted it (the festival) for two reasons,” Tamashiro said. “No one knows what Eisa is. (And) it’s to give people a better understanding and better appreciation for it.”
Originally, Eisa was a way to honor the ancestors. This form of dance and drumming is unique to the people of Okinawa, according to the press release. Today, Okinawa and Hawaiʻi Eisa performed at Bon Dances.
In Eisa, the dancers move around a lot. There is Karate, dancing, drumming and chanting, contrary to Taiko, which is when the drum is stationary and the drummer move around it.
In the program, the audience will have the chance to watch The Shisa Lions of Hawaii,
The finale is around 9 p.m. and the audience will be invited to stand up and dance.
“It’s an anything goes dance, (but) we’ll have a lesson,” Tamashrio said.
In this years festival there will be a combination of both contemporary styles of drumming and traditional. The program will include Okinawan taiko, karate, lions and contemporary folk music.
Also, Special guest and acclaimed artist, director and choreographer, Daiichi Hirata will be flying in from Okinawa and performing on KCC’s stage.
Goro Sumida, member of the Hundredth Infantry Battalion will be honored by UH Manoa graduate Saeko Hita, who will be singing the song, “Juuku no Haru,” a song Sumida always enjoyed.
“We want to remember and honor him,” Tamashiro said.
A banner will be seen at the back of the stage with the motto, “Yuimaaru,” which means, communities are always supporting one another especially in times of need, explained Tamashiro. This is a value she tries to live by.
“With the Eisa festival, it’s about expressing joy,” Tamashiro said.
If students are interested in getting involved, Tamashiro can be reached at sharit@hawaii.edu.