Owana Salazar

Owana Kaʻohelelani Mahaelani-rose Salazar (born 1953) is a musician who is related to the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii. She used her popularity to promote discussion of Hawaiian sovereignty issues.

Early years

Owana Salazar was born October 30, 1953. Her mother was Helena Kalokuokamaile Wilcox, a member of the House of Keoua Nui, through the branch of Laanui-Kalokuokamaile. Her maternal great-great-grandaunt was High Chiefess Elizabeth Kekaʻaniauokalaninuihilaukapu Laʻanui, and her great grandmother, Theresa Owana Kaohelelani Laanui was a great-great-great granddaughter of Keoua Kalanikupuapaikalaninui, the father of King Kamehameha I.^[1][2]

Her father was Henry Mario Salazar, descendant of a noble house from Spain. She was raised on the island of Oahu in her Spanish, Hawaiian, English, French^[3] and Italian culture. Her early years were immersed in music and family history as taught to her by her mother. The only girl in a family of five, Owana grew up with an honest sense of place. "Our family discussions were vast... about many of our ancestors, about their roles in Hawaiiʻs history, about the crown lands, about Robert Wilcox, about Princess Theresa going to Washington, about Princess Elizabeth going to Washington to petition Congress to survey the crown lands."^[4]

Cultural and Sovereignty Involvement

Salazar was strongly influenced by her descent from Hawaiian royalty and from her great grandfather, military and political leader Robert Kalanihiapo Wilcox. At nineteen, she was initiated into the Daughters and Sons of Hawaiian Warriors, Mamakakaua, a society organized around the genealogical descent of Hawaii's ruling chiefs. Throughout her musical career, she promoted Hawaiian history, culture and sovereignty. She served as family liaison to the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts for two years, with the goal of planning, commissioning and unveiling a life-size bronze statue of great grandfather Wilcox. His statue is located at Wilcox Park in downtown Honolulu, on the corner of King and Fort Street.^[3] Owana served for seven years as Kuhina Nui (Regent) to Ka Lahui Hawaii, a Hawaiian sovereignty organization. Before her death in 1988, her mother named Owana Kuhina nui and her son, Noa as Ali`i nui Kalokuokamaile III. She informed Owana's brothers that their sister and her son would succeed her. All brothers supported their mothers decision.^[4]

In July 1998, Salazar and her son withdrew from their relationship with Ka Lahui. In press interviews around the centennial of the annexation of Hawaii by the 1898 Newlands Resolution, she points out that it was only a joint resolution of the US Congress, not a treaty.^[5]

Education and Music Career

Under the tutelage of Kumu Hula Ho`akalei Kamau`u, Ho`oulu Richards and Winona Beamer, Owana studied the art of hula. She was later enrolled in The Kamehameha Schools. Owana sang with the Concert Glee Club.^[4] After graduating from high school in 1971, she went attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa as a music major. Along with traditional western music theory, Salazar continued her study of hula, studied voice with Elizabeth Cole, studied piano, string methods, guitar, Javanese dance and gamelan. At the start of her public career, Owana performed with Hawaiian headliners such as Don Ho, Ohta-San, Ed Kenney and Charles K.L. Davis. It was at U.H. that she learned Kihoʻalu (slack key guitar). She was introduced to the world of Kihoʻalu one day by friend Nelson Hiu. Combining music theory with her repertoire of Hawaiian songs and slack key, Owana developed her playing skills with help from musicians such as George Kuo, Bla Pahinui, Cyril Pahinui, Dennis Kamakahi, George Kahumoku Jr. and Sonny Chillingworth. Other musical influences include Joni Mitchell, Johnny Mathis, Connie Francis, Stevie Wonder, Genoa Keawe, Gabby Pahinui, Lena Machado Marvin Gaye, Debussy, Ravel, Bach, Rachmaninov.^[3]

Her first recording in 1986, Owana and Kaʻipo, In Kona was nominated in the category of Most Promising Artist in the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, a Hawaiian music industry salute. The following year, her second recording, "Owana", was a final ballot nominee for Contemporary Hawaiian Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. Pupuke describes the ocean on the North Shore of O`ahu. Kula Morning takes you upcountry Maui, gazing from mountain to the sea. “Na Wai” is a playful poetic expression of love's experiences, full of Hawaiian kaona (hidden meanings). “Kalamaula” celebrates the early homesteading movement of the Hawaiian people. “Silhouette Hula” is a hapa haole piece, recalling the early jazz years of Hawaiian music. For most of the 1980s, Salazar sang Hawaiian classics with the Royal Hawaiian Band and performed at venues in Waikiki and Japan. Jerry Byrd accepted Salazar as his student for formal study of Hawaiian steel guitar. Eventually, she received a full scholarship from the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association. In 1992, she became Byrd's first female graduate and has been called Hawaii's preeminent female steel guitarist.^[4] Besides Hawaii, Salazar has also performed in Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, and the Americas. In January 2000, she became the first woman to tour with the Hawaiian Slack Key Festival along with George Kahumoku, Jr., Keoki Kahumoku and Daniel Ho.^[3]

Discography (partial)

• "Owana" (1987) Nominated: Female Vocalist of the Year; Contemporary Hawaiian Album of the Year.
• "Wahine Slack n’ Steel" (2003) Winner: Contemporary Hawaiian Album of the Year. Nominated: Female Vocalist of the Year; Album of the Year.
• "Hula Jazz" (2005) Winner: Jazz Album of the Year; Nominated: Female Vocalist of the Year; Album of the Year; Song of the Year
• "Hawaiian Slack Key Masters: Volume III" Winner: Grammy Award (Hawaiian Music Category)
• "Hawaiian Slack Key Masters: Volume IV" Winner: Grammy Award (Hawaiian Music Category)

Family tree

Kahikikalaokalani

Keōua Nui

Kekuiapoiwa II

Kalokuokamaile

Kaloiokalani

Kamehameha I (The Great)

Kaohelelani

Jean Baptiste Rives (1793–1833)

Gideon Peleioholani Laʻanui (1797–1849)

Theresa Owana Kaheiheimalie Rives (1815–1850)

Elizabeth Kekaʻaniau Laʻanui (1834–1928)

Gideon Kailipalaki Laʻanui (1840–1871)

Alexander Cartwright III

Theresa Laʻanui (1860–1944)

Robert William Wilcox (1855–1903)

Daisy and Eva Cartwright

Robert Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Wilcox (1893–1934)

Virginia Wilcox (1895–1954)

Helena Kalokuokamaile Wilcox (1917–1988)

Owana Salazar (born 1953)

Mahana Kaʻahumanu Walters (born 1979)

Noa Kalokuokamaile (born 1981)

References

1. ^ Christopher Buyers. "Hawaii: Wilcox-Salazar Genealogy". Royal Ark web site. http://www.royalark.net/Hawaii/wilcox.htm. Retrieved November 18, 2010. 
2. ^ Henry Soszynski. "Owana Ka'ohelelani Salazar". web page on "Rootsweb". http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~royalty/hawaii/i308.html. Retrieved November 19, 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "The Ladies of Hawaiian Slack Key". Herschel Freeman Agency. http://www.herschelfreemanagency.com/rem_ladies/slack_key_ladies.html. Retrieved November 19, 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Dan Boylan (August 7, 1998). "Battle Royal". Midweek. http://www.hawaii-nation.org/midweek-owana.html. Retrieved November 19, 2010. 
5. ^ Dan Nakano (July 24, 1998). "Another royal scion presses claim: Hearing urged on annexation". Honolulu Advertiser. http://www.hawaii-nation.org/royal-claim.html. Retrieved November 19, 2010. 

External links

• Owana Salazar: Singer, Slack Key and Steel Guitarist personal web site

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Name	Salazar, Owana
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Date of birth	1953
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