Libraries Celebrate Their Week With Music, Readings, Comedy
National Library Week is making itself heard in West Oahu venues this month, as a wide variety of entertainers are booked to celebrate on the theme “Communities Matter @ Your Library.”
The theme was selected by the American Library Association to highlight the role of libraries as trusted gathering places where people “reconnect and re-engage with each other to enrich and shape the community and address local issues.”
Still ahead are the following free programs:
* Grammy and Hoku award-winner John Keawe, a self-taught slack-key guitarist, will offer a tribute to the island playing style at 2 p.m. April 20 at Aiea Library, sharing his original compositions and selections from Raymond Kane, Leonard Quan and others. Call 483-7333.
* West Oahu author Tyler Miranda discusses his first novel, ‘Ewa Which Way, at 10:30 a.m. April 20 at Kapolei Library. The coming-of-age story takes place in the early 1980s and the time of Hurricane ‘Iwa. Call 693-7050.
* Michael Pili Pang and his contemporary Hawaiian dance company Mu’olaulani bring to life local rituals, myths and legends at 3 p.m. April 21 at Pearl City Library. Call 453-6566.
* The dynamic storytelling group Bento Rakugo will present a modern twist to the Japanese comedy, Rakugo Bento (fallen words), at 1 p.m. April 27 at Kapolei Library. Artistic director Yasu Ishida leads the troupe through a comic story in which the performer sits on a cushion throughout the tale, speaking all of the voices involved (in English). Call 693-7050. All programs are supported by each library’s Friends group.
