Press
A video extract from the Kamehameha Celebration Commission's television broadcast of the state lei draping ceremony at Ali'iolani Hale in Honolulu on June 9th, 2023.
The Royal House of Hawai'i - Ka Hale Ali'i O Hoapili Baker (Royal House of Hoapili Baker) is represented discreetly through its Non-Profit philanthropic arm, The Hoapili Baker Foundation, at this glorious annual event honoring the First King of the First Dynasty of the Kingdom of Hawai'i. CEO, the Princess Georgette Pua'ala, Executive Director of International Relations, H.R.H. the Princess Idony Punahele Hoapili, Board Member, Senhor Dom (Lord) Alfredo Côrte-Real, and CFO, Keith 'Aweau, presented their lei ho'okupu on behalf of the Royal Hoapili Baker Family.
In tribute to the 151st King Kamehameha Day Anniversary, the holiday proclaimed by Lot Kapūaiwa, King Kamehameha V, the administrative members of the philanthropic arm of the Royal House of Hawai'i - Ka Hale Ali'i O Hoapili Baker joined in the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission's lively ceremony to honor Pai'ea Kamehameha, the powerful warrior kupuna who united the Hawaiian Kingdom, who is one of the ancestors of the Royal Hoapili Baker Family.
Seated in the VIP tent with Governor Josh Green and his family, the attending Board Members of The Hoapili Baker Foundation were honored to represent the Royal Hoapili Baker Family, and offer their ceremonial 30 ft. maile lei during the radiant mele sang by the kane kapu.
Step-brothers (and cousins) H.E. John Timoteo (aka Tamatoa) Baker, Governor of the Island of Hawai'i, and Prince Robert Hoapili Baker, Governor of the Island of Maui and Colonel in the Royal Hawaiian Army, born a Prince to Royal Prince Ikekeleaiku, and the cousin and royal aide-de-camp to King Kalākaua, were both requested by King David Kalākaua to model for the statues that he commissioned to honor the first king, which can be visited on O'ahu island, Hawai'i Island and at the Pentagon in Washington D.C..
E ala e nā kini o ka ʻāina!
Official Reception from the Municipality of Torre-de-Moncorvo, Portugal
At the invitation of the Municipality of Torre-de-Moncorvo, on August 27, 2021, H.R.H. Princess Idony Punahele, Head of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Hoapili Baker (formerly the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei) which represents the Royal Hoapili Baker Family, and Senhor Dom Alfredo Côrte-Real, Chief Officer of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Hoapili Baker, visited the City Hall where they were received by the Mayor, Dr. Nuno Jorge Rodrigues Gonçalves, the Vice Mayor, Dr. Victor Manuel Silva Moreira, councilors, and the cultural attaché of Torre-de-Moncorvo, Dra. Helena Pontes. An aimiable exchange of greetings took place in the Salão Nobre (Noble Hall), and with great consideration various site-relevant and artisinal gifts were given, including a copy of a special and rare edition of the Foral (medieval book specifying rights, regulations and duties of the community) of Torre-de-Moncorvo, which the Princess Idony Punahele accepted with much gratitude on behalf of her Hoapili Baker Family.
Leaving the Town Hall, the Royal delegation headed to the Castle Museum where an attentively detailed guided tour was carried out by the Hon. Professor, Dr. Nelson Rebanda, a prominent figure in the fields of Archealogy and History who discovered the most important rock carvings of Foz Côa. From the Castle Museum, the delegation moved to the imposing Church of Torre-de-Moncorvo, an imposing and magnificent Catholic monument of impressive architecture and beauty. This was followed by a visit to the Iron Museum followed, which is housed in a manor that was the residence of the illustrious Fonseca Moniz family, of the highest noble lineage, and from which distinguished individuals descended, including the Baron of Palme, José Maria da Fonseca Moniz, a direct ancestor of Senhor Dom Alfredo Côrte-Real.
After the visit to the iconic Iron Exploration Museum, the City Council offered a very pleasant lunch highlighting the best of the sublime flavors of the gastronomy of Moncorvo. After lunch, the Royal delegation visited a local artisan shop where visitors can learn about the local artisanal production of sugared almonds and see a demonstration of the unique sugaring process. The official visit was concluded by an invitation to the Cooperative where its President, Mr. Meneses, received the Princess Idony Punahele and Dom Alfredo enthusiastically.
Honor conferred by the Portuguese Comando Conjunto (Joined Forces)
In May 2021 during official travel in Europe, H.R.H. Princess Idony Punahele, Principal and appointed Head of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Hoapili Baker (formerly known as the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei) which represents the Royal Hoapili Baker Family, was honored by the Portuguese Army with a medal from the Comando Conjunto, a combined task force of the Navy, Army and Air Force of Portugal in the fight against COVID-19, which she appreciatively accepted on behalf of her Hoapili Baker family who are blood related to the last sovereign dynasty of King David Kalākaua and Queen Lydia Lili'uokalani. Princess Idony Punahele dedicates this immense honor to her late father and Nobel Prize accredited astrophysicist, Dr. Gerard Anthony Luppino, who was a pilot in the United States Air Force, to her grandmother, ke ali'i Geneviève Emelie Baker, a former United States Marine, to her grandfather, H.R.H. Prince George I'i Baker, a former Special Military Operations cryptographer who was stationed in La Rochelle, France, and to her many aunties, uncles and cousins of the Hoapili Baker Family who haved served and currently serve in the military.
Official Reception from the Municipality and Mayor of Aveiro in Portugal
On November 4th, 2020, José Ribau Esteves, Mayor of the city of Aveiro, officially recived H.R.H. Princess Idony Punahele, the appointed Head of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei (formerly the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei) and its Officier-in-Chief, H.E. Senhor Dom Alfredo Côrte-Real. The Princess Idony Punahele and the Mayor discussed the possiblities of exploring and establishing student exchanges in the domains of technology, culture and education through the Municipality and University of Aveiro and The Hoapili Baker Foundation and a university in Hawai'i.
Princesa do Havai recebida em Aveiro para abrir relações nas áreas da tecnologia, cultura e educação. A Princesa do Havai, Ka Hale Ali’i O Kamakehelei, Chefe Principal da Casa Real, foi recebida esta quarta-feira pelo presidente da Câmara de Aveiro, José Ribau Esteves. Segundo o comunicado da Câmara, que revelou a receção após ter acontecido, a Princesa esteve em Aveiro para «conhecer a cidade e a possibilidade de intercâmbios nas áreas da tecnologia, cultura e educação, em particular com o município e a Universidade de Aveiro». Também visitou os museus de Aveiro e as Florinhas do Vouga «onde ofereceu máscaras às crianças».
Reception at the Almadén Mining and Industrial Engineering School of the University of Castilla-La Mancha
Translation from article:
VISIT OF H.R.H. HAWAII Princess Idony Punahele TO THE EIMIA
Through an invitation to visit Almadén, on behalf of the Grand Master of the Order of Sacer in Spain, Don Germán Díaz Pérez, we have had the honor of having H.R.H. Princess Idony Punahele, Head of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei, representing the Royal Hoapili Baker Family, and Chief Officer of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei, H.E. Senhor Dom Alfredo Côrte-Real of Portugal. During the visit they were attended by our director Francisco Mata, by our professors Luis Mansilla Plaza and José Manuel de la Cruz Gómez, as well as by our student, an international relations Fellow, Daniel Carrasco.
H.R.H. the Princess Idony Punahele, Principal Head of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei which represents the Royal Hoapili Baker Family, and the Officer-in-Chief of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei, H.E. Senhor Dom Alfredo Côrte-Real of Portugal, were invited to Almadén, Spain, for a series of official visits arranged by the Grand Master of the Order of Sacer in Spain, Don Germán Diaz Pérez. Almadén is located in Ciudad Real in the region of Castilla-La Mancha and is internationally significant for its dense concentration of the largest source of natural mercury deposits in the world and has been known to be explored for more than 2,000 years. During the 16th-20th centuries Almadén was the world’s leading location of the extraction and production of mercury. The industrial engineering of mercury in Almadén greatly facilitated the international mining process of the extraction of gold and silver.
The Princess Idony Punahele and Senhor Dom Alfredo Côrte-Real, were invited for an official visit to EIMIA, the Escuela de Ingeniería Minera e Industrial de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha de Almadén (Almadén Mining and Industrial Engineering School of the University of Castilla-La Mancha) arranged by the Grand Master of the Order of Sacer in Spain, Don Germán Diaz Pérez.
The University was constructed upon the same locations of the original site through which the mine was accessed via long tunnels. In some areas of the University some preserved archeological sites can still be seen, including some remains of pre-Roman and Roman investigation and distillation of the mercury present.
The official visit was welcomed by the Director and Head of EIMIA, Dr. Francisco Mata Cabrera, as well as the tour guide and former Head of School, and some of the professors of the Engineering department. This University, besides being one of the world’s leading academic instutions of Mining, possesses a very significant museum called the Museo Francisco Holgado, which houses an invaluable collection of miniature models of the area, as well as a multitude of exhumed artifacts, samples of the different forms of the appearance of mercury, stones, geodes, fossils, maps and documents from various historical periods. The Almadén Mining and Industrial Engineering School has received earlier significant visits, including the former King of Spain, El Rei Juan-Carlos, and El Infante de España, Don Carlos, Grand Master of the Constantianan Order, among other illustrious visitors which now include H.R.H. the Princess Idony Punahele of the Hoapili Baker Family, royal descendant of the first and last dynasties of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, and H.E. Senhor Dom Alfredo Côrte-Real, royal descendant of the kingly line of the first and second dynasties of the Royal House of Portugal and multiple royal lines descending from the oldest kings of Europe, including King Alfred I of England, Kings of Naples (Pignatelli Family), and Emperor Charlemagne of France. The University administration kindly gave the royal delegation several publications and gifts and were invited to sign the School’s Book of Honor.
Induction into the Orden de la Capa Española – Valencia, Spain
September 2020 • This new article from the press in Valencia, Spain depicts HRH Idony Punahele Hoapili being honored by an induction into the Orden de la Capa Española de Valencia (The Order of the Spanish Cape of Valencia) by the Order's esteemed Founder and President, Don Carlos Verdú y Sancho.
Ke Ali'i Princess Idony Punahele Hoapili is the Principal Head of the only legitimate royal entity representing the Royal Hoapili Baker Family, the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei.
Don Carlos Verdú y Sancho is also shown giving a Spanish Cape to Pope Francisco on a pilgrimage visit to the Vatican.
Ke Ali'i Idony Punahele Hoapili, of the lawful principal branch of the line of HRH George I'i Baker, is extremely honored to be included in this eminent Order on behalf of the Royal Hoapili Baker Family.
Onipa'a Parade March – Honolulu
More members of the royal and ali'i Hoapili Baker family marched with ke ali'i Idony Punahele Hoapili and the Chief Steward in Hawai'i to the Royal House of Hawa'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei, Keith 'Kamuela' Aweau (direct descendant of High Ali'i Ki'ilaweau) to represent our Papa Ali'i, Robert Hoapili Baker in the March in the spirit of Onipa'a on January 17th, 2020 in honor of one of the royal ali'i blood relations of the Hoapili Baker ohana, Queen Lili'u'okalani. The March spans from the Royal Mausoleum in Nu'uanu to the 'Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu. Following the ali'i protocol of the customs of the annual Onipa'a March, some of the royal Hoapili Baker ohana cousins in Honolulu (Shayn I'i Bondaug, Jericka Makamae Bondaug and Mahina Hoapili-Fau of the Sheri Baker ohana, and Shannon Kanoe'okealaula Pacheco-Baker of the Scott Baker ohana) marched together with a photograph portrait of their kupuna (grandparent or ancestor) who was in the original procession. Prince Robert Hoapili Baker led the funeral march in front of his cousin Lili'u'okalani's coffin, carrying the royal orders of the queen.
Pictured are cousins ke ali'i Idony Punahele Hoapili Albert and Shannon Kanoe'okealaula Pacheco-Baker on Richards Street in downtown Honolulu, at the western entrance of the 'Iolani Palace.
Photograph credit: Honolulu journalist Lynette Cruz
A Lenda do Galo
An introductory commentary by H.R.H. Princess Idony Punahele Hoapili on the award-winning Portuguese short film A Lenda do Galo by Portuguese director Dr. Carlos Araújo, screened at the premiere of the film at the Teatro Gil Vicente in Barcelos, Portugal on January 31, 2020. The Princess Idony carries out her professional activity primarily in the domain of cinema. In addition to other official and public figures, an executive producer of the film, H.E. Sr. Dom Alfredo Côrte-Real, Officer in Chief of The Royal House of Hoapili Baker, was also present at the premiere.
Ke Ali'i Darcine Puamiliokanoe Baker-Wong
Darcine Puamiliokanoe Baker
Darcine Puamiliokanoe Baker-Wong is an international Tahitian dance champion, choreographer and performer travelling frequently around Oceania, the West Coast of the United States and in Japan. She is the granddaughter of ke ali'i Francis I'i {Hoapili} Baker (brother of ke ali'i George I'i {Hoapili} Baker).
Pua started learning the art of Tahitian dance at the age of 10 under the instruction of Rose Perreira at the Poe Rava Dance Studio in Honolulu. As a very young girl one of her first opportunities to dance was on the Norwegian Cruise Lines, and the first time that she competed in a solo competition it was at one of the largest competitions in the USA, in San José, California. During high school ke ali'i Pua steadily won overall titles and placement prizes competing as a soloist at competitions throughout the islands, including the Maui Tahiti Fête, Heiva I Oahu, Aloha Tower Fête, Hilo Tahiti Fête, foreshadowing a promising future as a professional Ori Tahiti dancer.
Completing all her required study and training in the tradiational Ori Tahiti artform after high school, Pua first worked at a newly choreographed show in Waikiki until she became pregnant. She returned vivaciously to the professional stage two months after the birth of her son, Ezekiel Kapua'elelehau'oliokalanie'alohineimana'aina, in 2005. After a short reprieve from dancing when Rose Perreira closed her dance group in 2007, she began working for the group Ma'ohi Nui as a professional performer under the direction of Mervyn Lilo in 2008.
It is with the acclaimed Ma'ohi Nui group that Pua has competed in many solo and group competitions, bringing home many champion titles. Twice First Place Overall Best Vahine Dancer at the Heiva I Honolulu and the Manutahi Tahiti Fête in 2012 and 2016 in the Soloist competition, she also took First Place in Ahuroa and the Perpetual Trophy in the Group competitions of Heiva I Honolulu in 2013. With Ma'ohi Nui ke ali'i Pua continues to have numerous opportunies to tour the world sharing the Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures as well as her expertise as an instructor. In 2013, she became one of the lead dance instructors for Ma'ohi Nui, teaching classes for keiki from age 3+ to Vahine 50+. Touring has included multiple military bases in Japan (Sasebo, Misawa, Iwakuni, Atsugi and Yokosuka) and Korea (Osan) putting on Polynesian dance shows to boost morale among the troops.
In 2015 Pua travelled to Guam with Mervyn Lilo and his wife, and a team of ten dancers from Hawaii to found a completely now show in Tumon called "Tao Tao Tasi" under the direction of Baldyga Group. The experience is particularly memorable for her as it was her first gig as an instructor away from home. She travels there ever couple of years to check up on the show and make any necessary changes to the choreography. In 2016 as the Overall Best Vahine Dancer at the Heiva I Honolulu, Pua was honored to represent Maohi Nui and Hawai'i to compete in the Ori Tahiti Nui World Championship in Tahiti. She was able to share the stage with world renowned dancers and just making it to that stage is something that she considers to be a prize to have the experience of dancing in the beautiful motherland of Ori Tahiti alongside the superior and iconic Tahitian dancers who she has always looked up to.
Her experience at the Championship paved a path to more exposure as an exceptional Polynesian dancer from Hawai'i when, under the instruction of Terema Puarai, Pua was extended the privilege of having been invited to compete in the Heiva I Tahiti at Taota in 2018, a competition likened to the Olympics for the art of Ori Tahiti. This competition is only open to the native intercompeting dance groups, however ten international dancers or musicians are permitted in each group of contestants. She describes how it is a dream for all Ori Tahiti dancers to be able to dance on the stage at Taota and bring home winning titles. She spent one rigorous month in Tahiti devoting herself to train, practice and prepare the costumes prior to the competition, experiencing the blood, sweat, tears and passion along the journey where she forged excellent relationships and now considers Tahiti her second home. Her competing group were proud to have won First Place in the Hura Ava Tau division, the culmination of dedication and self-sacrifice proven to be worth every moment! Only a week after Heiva I Tahiti, Pua competed in a Soloist competition, Hura 'Ai 'Ai in Papeete, produced by the legendary Coco Hotahota of Temaeva. After two days of dancing at comptetition among sixty-two soloist contestants in her age division, Pua won the First Place Prize, and delighted in the success on behalf of her Ma'ohi Group that she was representing. The entire experience in Tahiti was groundbreaking for a dancer from Hawai'i, a wonderful testament to the bloodline lineage that the Hoapili Baker ohana shares with their royal Tahitian cousins.
Pua's objectives have evolved from her fulfilled ambitions to compete in Ori Tahiti, and she now devotes herself to the joys of being an instructor.
Teaching has brought out a new challenge and passion for dancing as much as for the love of the Tahitian culture, says Pua. She invests her best self to the study and teaching of the Tahtitian dance culture correctly for her students, which is a sustainting source of happiness for her. When they succeed, bring home winning titles and exude their passion, she explains that she is beaming with pride and a full heart for them and that is the reason why she loves doing what she has chosen to give her life to, what she knows she was meant to do.
Puamiliokanoe is currently still one of the lead instructors for Ma'ohi Nui, teaching two night classes per week.
Ke Ali'i Kala'okekoa Anthony Albert
Ke Ali'i Kala'okekoa, double gold medalist in Kata and Kumite, representing the State of Hawai'i and the Kachi Karate Hawai'i Dojo at the 2017 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Karate National Championships in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Ke Ali'i Kala'okekoa Anthony Albert, great-grandson of H.R.H. Prince George I'i Baker, featured in publicity for the 2018 Hawai'i Trifecta Spartan Race Inc. Obstacle Course Races.
Étienne Anelamailani and Guillaume Makena
Étienne Anelamailani Carreira and Guillaume Makena Carreira of the royal and ali'i Hoapili Baker family of Hawai'i are both professional dance exhibition artists operating out of Las Vegas, Nevada. They are the grandsons of ke ali'i Bernicia Ka'iliponi (née {Hoapili} Baker) Carreira (sister of ke ali'i George I'i {Hoapili} Baker), and the sons of the polyvalent choreogapher, principal dancer and award-winning professional hair and make-up artist, James Carreira. The Carreira brothers are also the co-founders, choreographers and principal dancers of the award-winning dance crew, Battle Born, and they have led Battle Born to travel internationally to participate in breakdancing competitions for several years.
Besides making appearances in commercials, they have danced in a variety of shows, including Cirque du Soleil's Beatles LOVE, Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson ONE, Jabbawockeez, STOMP, Toni Braxton, Splash, Follies Bergere, as well as in a medley of music videos and performances at televised awards ceremonies, including with singers Pink and Jennifer Lopez.
Along with their individual professional participation in dance performances, ke ali'i Étienne and Guillaume also extend their talent in service to their community through their new joint endeavor, The Breaking Academy, a school specializing in the art and sport of breakdancing for dancers, gymnasts or enthusiasts of all ages and levels of experience.
See Étienne and Guillaume's website at http://www.facebook.com/Thebreakingacademy/
Ke Ali'i Princess Idony Punahele Hoapili at the Central Parque Hotel press conference and ceremony in Valencia, Spain in November
Valencia, Spain
Press article entitled "La visita de la princesa de Hawái a Valencia que le abre las puertas de Europa" in the Spanish online news journal Esdiario.com, following a press conference and ceremony in Valencia, Spain on November 25th, 2019. https://www.esdiario.com/
For translation purposes, the Royal Hoapili Baker Family wishes to provide the following message on behalf of The Hoapili Baker Foundation and The Royal House of Kamakahelei.
Idony Punahele Hoapili Albert has been in Valencia to present the Royal House of Hawai'i––Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei (which translates to the Royal House of Kamakahelei), as a Princess of the Royal Hoapili Baker family who are comprehensively related to the last reigning sovereign dynasty of the unified Kingdom of Hawai'i, the Kalākaua dynasty, as well as to the first sovereign dynasty, the Kamehameha dynasty.
At the press conference for the royal contingent, the Princess Idony Punahele (in Hawaiian, ke ali'i Idony Punahele) presented on behalf of her mother, the Princess Georgette Pua'ala Baker (in Hawaiian, ke ali'i Georgette Pua'ala) , CEO and Chairwoman of the Royal Hoapili Baker family's philanthropic endeavor, The Hoapili Baker Foundation. She spoke of the royal family's desire to establish cross-cultural, educational, scientific and philanthropic relations with organizations in Europe.
The audience learned that King David Kalākaua was the world's first king to circumnavigate the globe, and during his international tour which began in 1881, he met King Dom Luis I of Portugal and King Alfonso XII of Spain. The Princess emphasized that The Hoapili Baker Foundation is inspired by the vision shared by King Kalākaua and his cousin, Prince Colonel Robert Hoapili Baker, of accessible advanced education for the betterment of the Hawaiian people, as they both recognized the benefits of gaining international perspectives for Hawai'i's future leaders in government, science, medicine and education via the Hawaiian Youths Abroad Program legislated by ke ali'i Robert Hoapili Baker.
HRH Prince George I'i Baker (in Hawaiian, ke ali'i George I'i) and the Royal Hoapili Baker family of The Royal House of Hawaii–Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei would like to express our warmest aloha and gratitude to the Officer-in-Chief of the Royal House, HE Senhor Dom Alfredo Côrte-Real of Portugal, to HRH Senhor Dom Filipe Loulé, Count of Rio Grande, to the Chancellor HE Señor Dr. Pedro-José Bartolomé Fuentes of Spain, and to HE Señor Dr. Arturo Santoyo y Medina of Mexico, for having arranged the Iberian tour in November 2019 and facilitating the Royal Hoapili Baker family's welcome into Europe. The Royal Hoapili Baker family would also like to thank Señor Juan-José Terranegra and Señor Don Carlos Verdú y Sancho and all the members of the Order of the Knights of The Capa Española for their assistance and participation in the official ceremonies while in Valencia.
NHK World Japan
In June of 2018, an interview was requested of the family of astrophysicist Dr. Gerard Luppino, on behalf of NHK World Japan. NHK is a Japanese public televison station (equivalent to the BBC in the UK) which serves as the sole international television station in Japan which produces many educational documentaries, among them, their weekly series called Cosmic Front Next. The show is a science documentary series featuring cutting-edge, new and innovative advancements in astronomy.
The segment of Cosmic Front Next featured Dr. Satoshi Miyazaki of The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), a former post-doctoral fellow who worked and researched in the Detector Laboratory at the University of Hawai'i Mānoa's Institute for Astronomy and a longtime colleague of Dr. Gerard Luppino. Dr. Miyazaki hosted the interview for his feature in Cosmic Front Next in Honolulu, Hawai'i to highlight the important contributions to the field of astrophysics by his mentor, the late Dr. Gerard Luppino, with Dr. Luppino’s daughter, the Princess Idony Punahele Hoapili. Ke ali'i Idony was happy to recount stories of her father during the filmed interview with her family friend; she provided photos and publications featuring Dr. Luppino for the segment on behalf of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Kamakahelei, including the photo of Dr. Luppino and his Nobel Prize accredited CFH12K camera design, held by Dr. Satoshi Miyazaki at right.
The CFH12K Camera, designed and built by Dr. Luppino, is the Institute for Astronomy's first Large CCD Mosaic Camera, the instrument whose design rendered possible the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics
Portrait of Dr. Gerard Luppino for National Geographic Magazine, "New Eyes On The Universe", Vol. 185, No. 1, January 1994
Vignettes included in an article in the "HanaHou! Magazine", showing Dr. Gerard Luppino with his CFH12K Camera design at left, and an image from the film "Hawaiian Starlight" by his friend and colleague, Dr. Jean-Charles Cuillandre, long-time astronomer at the CFH Telescope, at center
Photo portrait credit: Ethan Tweedie
Tom Lopaka Kuali'i
Tom Lopaka Kuali'i is the grandson of ke ali'i Elizabeth Lokai (née {Hoapili} Baker) Kuali'i, and the son of ke ali'i Robert Kanani Kuali'i.
"Island native, born and reared in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai'i, having an acute interest in nature, I spent much of my earlier years drawing using different materials and techniques to express what I see. I enrolled in a number of art classes at the University of Hawaii and Hawaii Community College, one of which was Photography taught by reknowned artist, Linus Chao. It was my first introducton to the professional use of the camera. However it was not until I was deployed to Iraq that I truly discovered the fascinating world of photography.
"During my tour in Iraq, I spent "down time" looking for the beauty amid the chaos of war. Armed with a camera, I exposed grand sunsets and fluid waves of endless sand on photo paper. I stilled the movement of animals and insects unfamiliar to a Native Hawaiian, and I encouraged and captured smiles on faces that otherwise expressed fear and sorrow. Having a lifelong fascination with fighter and combat helicopters, I would often take pictures of them. One particular photograph of a row of Apache Helicopters nestled among protective barricades on an airfield in Balad won me a grand prize in a contest. I was awarded a custom-built Harley Davidson upon my return to Hawaii after my tour was over. That really spiked my interest in photography and I have since been intent on developping my talent and creativity.
"Back in the islands, I have become a progressively advancing professional photographer, having focused my lens on athletes of all ages on many courts and fields, including professional athletes in many sports. I have photographed aspiring models, competing hula dancers, singers and musicians, high school graduates, politicians, brides and grooms and celebrating families and friends.
"With an expanding, more acute eye for details, I have captured stunning images of nature as well. My passion is the theatre that is Kalapana; the vast playground of the Hawaiian Goddess, Pele. There I find a connection to my roots as a Hawaiian – even as a descendant of the native kings and warriors of old. Trekking over sacred, treacherous, unpaved landscape in the dark of night, lends to my dependance on a higher power. It becomes a spiritual experience that lays the backdrop for a simply spectacular production of wonder and beauty. I have been making this trek with Pele since 2008 and much of our island cultural sites, capturing the magnificence of it all in my images. It's a spiritual journey!"
While Tom has been adventuring and shooting freelance under Tom Kuali'i Photography, he is also the co-founder and former photographer of Extreme Exposure Fine Art Photography in Hilo, Hawai'i. Extreme Exposure Fine Art Photography was honored by having had one of their photographs hung in the White House.
Ke ali'i Tom Lopaka carries the surname of a famed ali'i lineage of the Hawaiian Islands, and of the royal and ali'i Hoapili Baker 'ohana, the Mo'ī (king) Kuali'i, who hailed from the ali'i lineage of the island of Kaua'i, and who at one time became Ali'i Nui (ruling king or sovereign) of the conquered islands of Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lāna'i and Maui together, long before the unification of the Hawaiian archipelago by Kamehameha I. Many of the descendants of ke ali'i Elizabeth Lokai (née {Hoapili} Baker) Kuali'i (sister of ke ali'i George I'i {Hoapili} Baker) carry the surname Kuali'i, because she had married another descendant of Mo'ī Kuali'i – Andrew Kuali'i of Hilo.
Tom Kuali'i now leads professional nature photographers and photography enthusiasts as a guide for his own venture of Landscape and Volcano Photography, as the creator and founder of The Edge Explorer Photography Tours. His penchant for intrepidly shooting close-proximity imagery of the magical convergence of fire and water that is distinctly unique to Hawaii has earned ke ali'i Tom the local nickname "the Hawaiian Superman". Besides his visual prowess with dancing lava, ke ali'i Tom also lends his perceptive eye as a key official photographer upfront at the Merrie Monarch Festival, the championship competiton of the art of the hula dance held annually in Hilo, Hawaii.
See Tom Kuali'i's website at http://theedgeexplorer.com/
