I’ve received a number of emails from podcast listeners, most of whom I’ve never heard from before. While nearly all expressed some disappointment in this development, they were also supportive of the decision, and stated that they would continue to listen for the music. Mahalo for the kind feedback and compliments from all of you as well.
This wasn’t an easy decision. I was still pondering my decision earlier this week when I was interviewed by a reporter from Midweek magazine on podcasting. In discussing the history of Nahenahe.net and the podcast with her, I was reminded that the main reason I started the podcast in the first place was to explore its potential as an educational tool. The ability to promote the music of Hawai‘i, while significant, was really secondary.
I have really wanted to do a Hawaiian language podcast for a while, to give students and speakers of the language something to listen to, but simply don’t have the time to do two of them. When I subbed for Mākela Bruno-Kidani on the Alana I Kai Hikina program a few years ago, I was amazed at how many people would call the station to say that they loved the show, even though they didn’t understand what we were saying. I’m hoping that the same will occur here.
While English is my native language, Hawaiian my language of choice. At some point I hope that English will fall a distant third to Hawaiian and Irish. I’ve spent the past dozen years trying to find ways to bring technology to the Hawaiian language, and bring the language into technology. This is a natural extension of that work. I think it is important that the language be used in contemporary contexts, such as my friend Conn does with technology and Irish language on An tImeall, and am grateful that his discussion of language on his podcast reminded me of this.
Nothing is final, and I’ll never say never. I may go back to doing English podcasts at some point, alternating them in English in Hawaiian, or using both languages within them. Only time will tell. I’m hoping that those of you who don’t speak Hawaiian will continue to listen, for the music if nothing. If someone becomes inspired to learn the language, then in my eyes this move will be a success.
Aloha mai kaua!
I am sure that everyone has different reasons to listen to your podcast. Since I am studying the Hawaiian language and culture now, I am thrilled at your decision to cast in only the Hawaiian language. Living outside Hawaii, I find it almost impossible to find any spoken Hawaiian to listen to. I do have a cassette for studying the language, but your podcast was the first time ever that I was able to hear Hawaiian as a true living language! I can only thank you from the bottom of my heart and I am sure that there are also many others at different levels of the language who share the same feelings as I do. I must admit that even though I am a student and I am still at a very low level of understanding, I finally have found a new resource for studying. For me, language acquisition is through imitation. Having something now to imitate can speed up the process. In every culture through every time music has exsisted. Using your podcast we are exposed to both wonderful music and a beautiful language. Around me, everyone thinks that there is no reason to learn Hawaiian because no one actually speaks it. They think it is a dead language. Your podcast would prove them wrong. Also, casting in only Hawaiian and having the opportunity to hear the beauty of the language, not sung but also spoken, may cause an interest in some people to pursue studying even the basics of the language.
E Keola, I say all congratulations to you for your choice in using only the Hawaiian language. Thanks to you, I have already learned some Hawaiian. For example, you said we we we kiko in one of your podcast. If I were just looking at a homepage written completely in Hawaiian, I would have read that as double u, double u, double u, dot, but hearing it has forced me to think in Hawaiian, even for just a split second. Saying we we we kiko and having a podcast all in Hawaiian several times a month, can only prove that Hawaiian is not only alive but growing!
Mahalo for all of your efforts. They are very well appreciated!
‘Analu