The crowd that turned out for the Maui Okinawan Festival on Sept. 21 at the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center in Kahului was treated to a full program of Okinawan music and dance numbers performed primarily by Maui students of the various cultural arts. (Photos by Wayne ShinbaraFive-year-old Cummins Chong-Kee tames the shishi (lion) while Amy Shinsato, Terry Higa-Sensei (obscured), Lori Shinsato, Norman Kaneshiro-Sensei and George Fujita performed music to assist him. Inside the shishi’s costume are brothers Aukai Joy and Kuakini Joy.Siblings (from left) Lauren Molina, Arissa Molina and Aden Molina participated in the festival by selling Maui Okinawa Kenjin Kai’s Okinawan shoyu pork plate lunch.Maui Okinawa Kenjin Kai Ichi Go Ichi E class members perform for the audience. They are, from left: group coordinator Christine Hondo, Kay Mesina, Patricia Meya, Eileen Kobayashi and Marie Wong.Ryukyu Koten Afuso Ryu Ongaku Kenkyu Choichi Kai Hawai‘i Maui members perform sanshin with their sensei. From left: Jan Matsushita, Tammy Yonahara, Ruth Murata (behind Tammy), Eileen Kobayashi, Loreen Okamura, Elyse Farley (behind Loreen), Kris Odo, Michele Kawahara, Alyssa Takushi, Bob Yonahara, Kolby Odo, Todd Hondo, Sean Sadaoka-Sensei, Alison Ebesu (on taiko), Grant “Masanduu” Murata-Sensei and Kenton Odo-Sensei.Bags of andagi made by Maui Okinawa Kenjin Kai members and supporters were popular with festival attendees.Maui Okinawa Kenjin Kai members Amy Yamada (left) and Eileen Kobayashi were busy selling Festival T-shirts.From left: Sam Quipotla, Sophie De Mattos and Alexis Mesina performed “Hounen Ondo,” a lion dance they learned from Jimpu Kai Maui members at the Maui Children’s Day Camp.
