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‘Hawaiian Soul’ film tells story of George Helm

Sometimes in concert Raiatea Helm honors her uncle, the late musician/activist George Helm, singing "Hawaiian Soul," composed by Jon Osorio and Randy Borden shortly after he disappeared at sea in 1977.

"It's a great tribute to him," said Helm. "It's very emotional. It's one of those songs that gets you."

The multiple Na Hoku Hanohano winner and Grammy nominated singer will pay tribute to her uncle on Aug. 18 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center during a free presentation of the film "Hawaiian Soul." The event will conclude with a panel discussion and audience Q&A featuring the film's director Aina Paikai, producer Justyn Ah Chong and two of the film's actors, Kolea Fukumitsu, who plays Helm as an adult and Kamakani Fukumitsu, who plays him as a child.

"It's a film by a Native Hawaiian who admires my uncle, and the work he's done for the Hawaiian community," explained Helm, who plays a small part in "Hawaiian Soul."

"For me, what was touching, was that he gathered a bunch of archival footage of my uncle and others who made an impact during that time. It was really cool to see footage that I've never seen before and my dad and his siblings.

"A lot of the filming happened on Molokai and on the property where my dad and Uncle George were raised over at Kalama'ula. It's a great project that opened up a lot of things and ideas and conversations. There's just a lot of love for the man that my uncle was. It's a great opportunity for the Hawaiian community and others to see that side of uncle and how his music has allowed him to share his voice through his music and advocacy of Kaho'olawe, his fight for Kaho'olawe. His idea back in the '70s was if you really wanted to connect to your roots and identity, go to Kaho'olawe."

A gifted musician and falsetto singer, George Helm was one of the founders of the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana that worked to stop the military bombing of the island. A primary force behind the emerging aloha 'aina movement, Helm along with Kimo Mitchell were lost at sea after setting out for Molokini from Kaho'olawe on surfboards in the early morning hours of March 7, 1977.

A short narrative film, "Hawaiian Soul" is set against the backdrop of the 1970s Native rights movement. The film's director Paikai reported that it's "based on true events and captures key moments where music fuels both George's passions of celebrating Hawaiian culture and guarding what's left of it."

Originally not in the script, Raiatea Helm was cast as an aunty. "I got a cameo. I played an aunty and George was a little boy. I'm in the backyard singing and he's listening, and he's inspired to sing Hawaiian music."

Growing up on Molokai, she remembered hearing her uncle's music as a child. "I didn't get to meet him. I was born in '84. My first memory was hearing the recording of my uncle. He used to perform at a Chinese restaurant called the Gold Coin in Honolulu. The owner recorded him, and he ran away with the recordings and released one album, and the family had no idea about it."

"The Music of George Helm, A True Hawaiian" was released within weeks of his disappearance. "Then Michael Cord, in the mid-90s, who owns the rights to a lot of Hawaiian songs, found the recordings and consulted with my grandma, and took care of the family as far as royalties. Without that recording, we wouldn't have heard my uncle's voice. He sings Queen Liliuokalani's famous songs she wrote in prison at Iolani Palace. There's so much power behind that, and it still connects with our people."

In conclusion, she said the film overall, is "a dedication to George Helm and the work he has done, but also the charismatic, loving musician that he was. That was his opportunity to share his love for his people, and to do your homework and fight for what was taken, and protect Hawaii's assets, the land, the resources, our people, our education, the language. So it's a good reminder that it's really important to honor these individuals that really left a huge inedible mark on us."

A Female Vocalist of the Year winner for her albums "Far Away Heaven," "Sweet and Lovely," and "He Leo Huali, A Pure Voice," Helm was the first solo female vocalist from Hawaii to receive a Grammy nomination. More recently, she gained a degree in music and has been working at the Liliuokalani Trust. She is also teaching a class in Hawaiian singing at Windward Community College.

"I'm not the traveling musician that I used to be," she said. "I'm wearing several hats. I'm a community advocate and I'm involved in education now, and that's allowing me to grow and step up and do more."

The screening of the film "Hawaiian Soul" is presented on Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the MACC's Castle Theater. It will include a performance by Raiatea Helm, and a panel discussion and audience Q&A. Admission is free with seating on a first come, first served basis. No pre-registration required.