Leon Siu
H.E. Leon Kaulahao Siu (born 1948) is a Hawaiian diplomat, indigenous rights activist, sovereignty leader, composer, singer/songwriter, writer, and visual artist from Hilo, Hawaiʻi. During the 1970s and 80s he gained fame in the Hawaiian music industry as part of the duo Leon & Malia, creating and pioneering the new genre of Folk/Hawaiian music.[1] Leon & Malia are perhaps best known as the premier Hawaiian children's music artists and producers, and their music is played in schools throughout the Hawaiian Islands, as well as in various parts of the rest of the world, to help teach children about Hawaiian culture. Siu has been active in promoting Hawaiian rights and sovereignty since the 1970s. Since 2000, Siu has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Ke Aupuni o Hawaii (The Hawaiian Kingdom).[2] (Siu had served as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs during the four previous years.) In 2017 he became the first Hawaiian nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.[3] Also in 2017 he was awarded the prestigious Decree of Consecration Diploma and Gold Medal United Nations Peace Maker Sergio Vieria de Mello award by the International Parliament for Safety and Peace, which had previously been won by diplomats such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela. Because of these awards, his devotion to the peaceful restoration of Hawaiian sovereignty, and his soft-spoken personality, Siu has been called by some Hawaiians “the Nelson Mandela of Hawaiʻi.”
Early Life & Music[edit]
Siu was raised on the island of Hawaiʻi, and studied painting and music as a youth and young adult. While in college, Siu got a job working as a soloist at a bay-front nightclub in Hilo, where he met Malia Elliot, who had been part of a visiting theatre group from Honolulu.[4] Two years later, after completing her theatre contract, Siu and Elliot formed a duo performing in Waikiki nightclubs. They went on to perform at numerous venues in both Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay area, performing at the famous Purple Onion. Not long later, they were offered a recording contract, and flew to Los Angelous to make their first record, Leon & Malia. They created and pioneered a new genre, Folk/Hawaiian, and gained popularity performing at various concert venues, nightclubs, and cruise ships.[5]
In 1977 the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra began playing excerpts from Siu's symphonic work, Boy With Goldfish, which Siu created with Jerré Tanner. In 1979, Leon & Malia recorded Boy With Goldfish with the London Symphony Orchestra, and in doing so, Siu became the first Hawaiian to record with a major symphony orchestra.[6]
Also in 1977 Siu composed the soundtrack for the National Geographic Voyage of the Hokuleʻa[7], which would go on to win the Drama Critics Award for Best Documentary Film.
Leon & Malia are the premier Hawaiian children's music artists and producers. In addition to their music recordings, the duo has also produced a number of Hawaiian children's music videos, which have been released and re-released in various formats over the decades. The music videos are popularly used to teach Hawaiian culture and music to children not only in Hawaii, but also worldwide. Their original songs, such as We Are Family, have become standards in Hawaiian children's music, and their cover songs are also popular, with their music video for Pearly Shells receiving over two million views on YouTube alone.[8]
Skilled in the visual arts, Siu has often created the cover art for his own albums, along with the storybook accompaniments for his children's music.
Siu has often performed with slack-key singer/songwriter Kawika Kahiapo.
Activism & Hawaiian Sovereignty[edit]
Since the 1970s, Siu has been active in the movement to restore the Hawaiian Kingdom as a sovereign nation-state. In 1996, Siu became the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ke Aupuni o Hawaii (The Hawaiian Kingdom). Since 2000, be became the head Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he has held to this day.[9] Since taking over as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Siu has frequently traveled to the United Nations headquarters in both New York and Geneva, advocating on behalf of Hawaiians for the restoration of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and working with other diplomats and human rights activists.[10] He chairs and is on the board of several human rights committees headquartered at the UN.[11]
In 2017, Siu was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to his work on the West Papua conflict.[12] Also in 2017, he was awarded the Decree of Consecration Diploma and Gold Medal United Nations Peace Maker Serigo Vieria de Mello award by the International Parliament of Safety and Peace.
Writing[edit]
Siu, along with Reverend Daniel Kikawa and Na Hoku Hanohano award winning musician Kawika Kahiapo, founded Aloha Ke Akua Ministries, a Christian non-profit organization aimed at addressing the needs of indigenous Christians worldwide. Siu assisted with the research and editing of Kikawa's books, Perpetuated in Righteousness, and God of Darkness, God of Light, both of which have become popular books in Hawaiian spirituality and Christianity.
In 2015 he authored a book titled the Basis for the Restoration of the Hawaiian Kingdom, providing an introduction to the history and current situation of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
In 2018 he co-authored with Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sukru Guzel a book titled Modus Vivendi: Situation of West Papua. The book was based on Siu's and Guzel's previous work on the West Papua New Guinea situation, which resulted in their nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.[13] Siu became the first Hawaiian nominated for the award.
| Genre | Hawaiian | Children's/Hawaiian | Folk/Hawaiian | Instrumental | Documentary |
| Instruments | Composer | Producer | Slack-key guitar | Vocals | |
| Years active | 1966 - Present[14] | ||||
| Labels | |||||
| Websites | www.leonandmalia.com | www.hawaiikidsmusic.com/ |
Discography[15][edit]
| Name | Format | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leon & Malia | Album | 1970 | |
| Blend | Album | 1972 | |
| Haku Mele[16] | Album | 1976 | |
| Voyage of the Hokuleʻa | Soundtrack | 1977 | National Geographic documentary. Winner of the Drama Criticʻs Award for Best Documentary Film |
| Boy with Goldfish | Album | 1979 | With the London Symphony Orchestra[17] |
| Mokulana | Album / Storybook | 1979 | |
| Heartland | Album | 1979 | |
| Hoʻolako | Album | 1987 | |
| Tropic Nights | Album | 1991 | |
| Keiki Calabash | Album | 1993 | |
| Keiki Calabash | VHS | 1993 | Sing-a-long VHS |
| Slack Key Praise | Album | 1997 | With Kawika Kahiapo[18] |
| Kamalani Childrenʻs Chorus | Album | 1997 | Producer |
| Keiki Calabash Coloring & Activity Book | Storybook | 2001 | Storybook accompaniment to Keiki Calabash album. |
| Da Jesus Story: Hawaii Pidgin Selections from Da Jesus Book | Album | 2002 | |
| Keiki Calabash | DVD | 2003 | Sing-a-long DVD |
| Hawaii Kids Praise | Album | 2005 | |
| Boat Days/Tropic Nights[19] | Album | 2006 | |
| Hokulea/Hoe Amau | Single | 2007 | |
| Hawaii Kids Calabash | DVD | 2007 | |
| Keiki Calabash | Album | 2011 | |
| Lullaby Moon | Album | 2014 | Producer, instrumentalist. |
Awards[edit]
| Award | Year | Presenting Agency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decree of Consecration Diploma | 2017 | International Parliament of Safety and Peace | |
| Gold Medal United Nations Peace Maker Serigo Vieria de Mello award | 2017 | International Parliament of Safety and Peace | |
| Nobel Peace Prize (nominee) | 2017 | Nomination |
References[edit]
- ↑ "13 Dec 1969, 9 - Honolulu Star-Bulletin at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ http://www.washingtontimes.com, The Washington Times. "China threatens to arm Hawaii separatists who want kingdom". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ Foundation, Koani. "Free Hawai`i". freehawaii.blogspot.jp. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "LeonandMalia.Com". www.leonandmalia.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "25 Nov 1971, 59 - Honolulu Star-Bulletin at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Tanner: Boy With Goldfish / Siu, Elliot, Holdridge ... - Albany Records: TROY053 | Buy from ArkivMusic". www.arkivmusic.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "PBS HAWAI'I PRESENTS Voyage of the Hōkūle'a | PBS Hawai'i". www.pbshawaii.org. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ Malia Elliott (2011-03-27), Pearly Shells - Hawaii Kids Calabash Songs - Pearly Shells, retrieved 2018-05-27
- ↑ Elsworth, Catherine (2008-06-29). "Queen of Hawaii demands independence from 'US occupiers'". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Contenders to the Throne". www.honolulumagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Leon Siu: Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Hawaiian Kingdom | AmherstMedia". amherstmedia.org. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Leon Siu Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize". koanifoundation.org. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Prof. (h.c) Mehmet Şükrü Güzel, Author at ANKASAM". ANKASAM. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Volcanic Ash by David Shapiro". archives.starbulletin.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Leon Siu | Songs | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "MELE Archive". ulukau.org. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Orchestra". Jerré Tanner - composer. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features". archives.starbulletin.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features". archives.starbulletin.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
Hawaii News Now. “Leon and Malia, who sang for Hokuleʻaʻs original voyage, bring memory back to life.” 17 June 2017. http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/35684490/leon-and-malia-who-sang-for-hokuleas-original-voyage-bring-memory-back-to-life
San Mateo Times. 30 April 1971.
Siu, Leon Kaulahao. “Hawaii Not Sanctuary for Hawaiians.” The Huffington Post. 23 April 2017. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hawaii-not-sanctuary-for-hawaii_us_58fcaa81e4b0f02c3870eb70
External Links[edit]
This article "Leon Siu" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Leon Siu. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- ↑ "Taking Notice". archives.starbulletin.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ "Federal government proposes new path to sovereignty". Retrieved 2018-05-27.
