Pōpoloheno - Songs of Resilience & Joy

Pōpoloheno is an unprecedented musical initiative by Kumu Māhealani Uchiyama celebrating the often-overlooked contributions of African-descended individuals in post-contact Hawaiian history. This transformative project, sponsored by the Gerbode Foundation, and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, has resulted in an album of original music released in June 2025 and will culminate with concert performances in San Francisco and on Oʻahu in August, 2025.

Pōpoloheno highlights the historical bonds between Hawaiian and African cultures, recognizing shared values, struggles, and resilience. This project seeks to challenge misrepresentations, deepen cultural understanding, and create a lasting musical tribute to Black history in Hawai’i.

Pōpoloheno is named after the pōpolo, a black colored berry which is found throughout Polynesia. It is valued for its medicinal qualities. In Hawaiʻi it has become associated with people of African descent because of its rich, dark coloring. Due to subsequent colonial thoughts and practices, the term has since been used as a pejorative. The project is reclaiming the word and honoring the positive meanings of the pōpolo. Pōpoloheno means “cherished pōpolo”.