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With a portion of proceeds benefiting the Kula Community Watershed Alliance, the 39th annual St. John's Kula Festival will be presented on Sept. 21 in Keokea, with an array of performers including Steve Grimes, Benny Uyetake, Cheryl Rae, Jamie Lawrence, Kawika Ortiz, Halau Hula Wehena o ke Ao and Kumu Hula Maka'ala Palmore, and the Isle of Maui Pipe Band.
"There's something for everybody from children to adults," says Festival co-chair Deb Lynch. "It is going to be fun with lots of music, excellent food, and a really good auction this year. There's a kid zone, a gift shop, and baked goods."
A popular Upcountry event, the festival typically draws thousands. "Last year there wasn't one because of the fires out of respect for the people," says Lynch. "The year before that, there were three thousand people. So we look forward to seeing a lot of people."
With entertainment hosted by Mana'o Radio, Steve Grimes is among the musicians performing in Koekea. Following last year's devastating fires, he was inspired to compose the brilliant, inspirational song "Lahaina Town."
"The fire came within a half a mile of my (Kula) house and shop, and we had to evacuate because the threat was just too crazy," says Grimes, who is a renowned master instrument maker. "I had to pack up 38 instruments and a truckload of my most valuable wood. It just was a very emotional thing for me. I recorded the guitar part and I did the lead vocal, and I just thought this song needs someone with more power, more gravitas in the vocal, so I called John Cruz."
Opening with a chant by Kumu Hula Moanalani Beamer, it features John Cruz on lead vocals, with Lukas Nelson on backing vocal, Pat Simmons on slack key guitar, Andrew Fowler and Garrett Probst on guitars, and the voices of Pomaika'i Elementary School students.
"John Cruz said, 'I love this song,' and we recorded him doing the lead vocal," Grimes continues. "Pat Simmons loved the song, and I sent it to Lukas Nelson and he liked it a lot. I got kids at Pomaika'i Elementary School to sing on the chorus and the end outro. Then I talked with Moana Beamer to do an opening chant. I evolved into something that felt important for the community."
Recently performing "Lahaina Town" at the Puana Aloha No Lahaina event at the Lahaina Civic Center, he was joined by Brandon Hirata, Koakane Mattos and Kason Gomes of Launa'ole.
A lyric video of the song was released on the one-year anniversary of the fires, and a new video is being produced by Maui filmmakers Leah Warshawski and Todd Soliday, with all the musicians involved. The award-winning couple previously produced a wonderful video for his beautiful song "After the Rain," and created "Uncle Bully's Surf Skool."
"They filmed Pat Simmons, Lukas, Moana, and John Cruz," he says. "We want to do a grand finale, a community thing like 'Playing For Change,' with a large group of people all with their hands in the air, very hopeful, very positive. The video shows a little bit of damage to Lahaina and Kula, but it's not a song about woe is me. It's more about hope and the path forward. We're hoping to get the music video done by the end of October."
Besides the Lahaina video, Warshawski and Soliday are making a feature-length documentary on Grimes. "I'm a little humbled by it," he says. "They said, "Steve, don't worry, it's not about you.' They encompass a lot and I'm kind of like the center of it. It's very expansive and it's a lot more than just about me. We're hoping to get Paul Simon on it. I made him a couple of guitars. And I'd love to get George Benson playing one of my guitars."
The annual festival supports St. John's Ministries, with some proceeds also aiding the Kula Community Watershed Alliance. A land restoration initiative led by many survivors of the burned areas of the wildfire in Kula, the Alliance brought neighbors together to support land recovery and establish a safer, more resilient landscape and optimum watershed health in the area.
"We wanted to help the Kula area because that's where St. John's is located," says Lynch. "So we're focusing on Upcountry people who were in the fires."
St. John's Kula Festival is presented at St. John's Episcopal Church on Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $2 with children ages 10 and under admitted free. Parking is free at Keokea Park.