E Komo Mai,
Just passed downtown Waimea is the turn up Waimea Canyon Drive, a 36 mile windy, hilly road that dead ends abruptly. At about the 17 mile mark you begin to lose radio reception, so you best have some alternate means if you like music. On a clear Kauai morning, I turned up Waimea Canyon Drive on my way to an epic hike on the Alakai Swamp Trail and that is when I was introduced to Paula Fugavia a Hawaiian Public Radio interview about the Hawaiian born singer/songwriter/poet/folk musician. Paul played a live, on air, version of Country Road featuring Jack Johnson. I was hooked. After that, whenever I needed my spirits risen, I would simply find this song, or any other by Paula and it would light me up something fierce.
Cut to April of 2018, a rain gauge captures 49 inches of rainfall in 24 hours (before the rain gauge breaks) and flooding and landslides devastate the North Shore of Kauai. As a result, Jack Johnson holds the Kokua for Kauai Relief Concert in Poipu just a few weeks later. During the concert, I sneak backstage and find myself side by side with none other than Paula Fuga! I express my appreciation. Then, she proceeds to go on stage and sing Country Road with Jack Johnson! Just before the encore, someone backstage notices I am not wearing a wrist band and politely escorts me out…but not before I met Bill Kreutzmannn (drummer for the Grateful Dead) Makana, and Donovan Frankenreiter!
I submitted an article to be published in the Garden Isle Newspaper a few days after the event, discussing the convergence of many paths leading up to and during that concert. I attached it for those interested.
Fun Fact: Paula, having been orphaned as a child, has never released her DOB publicly. Cheers to Paula. May she bring you the same joy she brings me.
A Hui Hoi
