Jake Kaio with several members of the national youth pipe band in Scotland. He and the young pipers have more in common than a passion for piping – they also share the same instructor, world-renowned piper Roddy MacLeod. – Photo: Courtesy of Jake Kaio

Hawaiian bagpiper to travel
cultural bridge to Scotland

In Honolulu, 2 events will celebrate the ties
between Hawaiian and Scottish cultures

By Liza Simon / Ka Wai Ola Loa

Jake Kaio will be a familiar face when he returns as an observer this fall to Scotland's most prestigious invitation-only bagpipe competitions. Even if he opts to pose for photos wearing a lavalava instead of the conventional piper's kilt (as he did at the event in 2002), Scottish eyes might not blink, because many in those distant isles recognize the 6-foot-tall Native Hawaiian from Kahalu'u as the best bagpiper to emerge from anywhere in these Pacific isles.

Kaio, who will return to the competition in October to observe the crème de la crème of the bagpiping world – "I'm not in that caliber," he says of his observer's role – is equally nonchalant about his foray into the culture of a faraway land, although he is inclined to say it's not so different. "The Scottish are proud people," says Kaio. "They've fought hard to keep their homeland. It's like here – just colder."

In fact, much like hula, Scottish bagpiping was for a while driven underground as the result of a political drive to obliterate Scottish culture during the late 18th century.

There are many more ties between the two sets of isles that will be highlighted in upcoming events, where Kaio will contribute his talents on the ivory pipes: He'll perform at the Caledonian Society of Hawai'i's Ka'iulani Memorial at the Royal Mausoleum on April 2 and at the 28th annual Hawaiian Scottish Festival and Highland Games at Kapi'olani Park on April 4 and 5. In addition to celebrating the Scottish heritage, both events pay tribute to Princess Victoria Ka'iulani – the daughter of Hawaiian Ali'i Miriam Kapili Kekauluohi Likelike and Scottish entrepreneur Archibald Scott Cleghorn. The Kapi'olani Park festival, in addition to its annual offerings of traditional Scottish games, will give a nod to the life and times of Ka'iulani by featuring members of the Ka'iulani Project reading from an upcoming screenplay.

"Just listen for the sound of piping and you'll find the events. But watch that you don't get hooked. It happened to me," advises Kaio.

Jake Kaio calls this 'my most treasured' picture because it shows him alongside competitors and master pipers from around the world in Scotland's Blair Castle, in 2002. Roddy MacLeod, who won that year's competition, stands at the far left. – Photo: Courtesy of Jake Kaio

If Kaio had followed in his family's musical path, he'd be beating the pahu, not piping away. He is related to two noted kumu hula – Lincoln Kaio and Sissy Kaio. "Of course, I love Hawaiian music, and I can sing Hawaiian, but believe me when I say I am not nearly as good as others in my family," he says.

By contrast, Kaio said destiny drew him to the Great Highland Bagpipe from the first time he heard it live from the banks of Ala Wai, where he paddled canoe at age 12. Eventually, he married a woman of Scottish descent. They decided to take piping lessons locally, inspired partly by a small but thriving community of Scottish heritage enthusiasts, including members of the Caledonian Society of Hawai'i, a 44-year old local nonprofit that promotes all things Scottish – from music and dance to educational grants for research.

Kaio laughs heartily remembering his first attempts at piping. "I was really the worst in the class," Kaio says. The instrument is inherently challenging, requiring the handling of a blowpipe, a bag and several drones plus an adjustment to a tuning and intonation very foreign to any ear weaned on pop music's "do re mi." It didn't help that the instructor told Kaio he would never succeed because he didn't know how to read music. Undeterred, he sought out Scottish born and bred masters during a prolonged stay with his in-laws in Idaho. Asked by one of the great teachers why he was pursuing piping, he replied, "I just want to play the best I can."

The teacher told him his knack for playing by ear would take him far. While he eventually did learn to read music, his musically attuned ears helped him pick up piping's embellishments – the deft fingering patterns that stretch simple themes into sustained notes and complex variations.

As he has in years past, Jake Kaio will perform at the annual Hawaiian Scottish Festival and Highland Games at Kapi'olani Park, happening April 4 and 5. – Photo: Courtesy of Jake Kaio

Within a year after his Idaho instruction had begun, Kaio was heading off to bagpipe competitions, including a prestigious one in the Pacific Northwest, where, much to his surprise, he picked up several trophies. "I liked the playing of other competitors so much better than my own that I left the event early," he recalls. "It was only later when someone contacted me that I found out I won."

Word of Kaio's proficiency spread and led to his invitation to observe the 2002 Glenfiddich Piping Championship in Scotland held at Blair Castle. He admits to feeling a bit intimidated upon his arrival there. "I had this idea that in the homeland Scots must act very proper," Kaio remembers thinking. The notion was dispelled when he found himself mingling with venerated piping masters such as Roddy MacLeod. "I didn't know it was him, because he acted so low-key. But then I realized the joy of (piping) brings so many people together. There's no reason not to just be yourself." He credits this realization for helping him net Category Two honors, just one step from the top.

In the last seven years, he's continued to cultivate piping and the fellowship of other Hawai'i pipers – many of them Native Hawaiian or Hawaiian-at-heart, as he dubs Hardy Spoehr, executive director of Papa Ola Lōkahi, who is also noted for his piping talent. Kaio has headed up the Hawaiian Thistle Band, Hawai'i's Caledonian Society and has performed with the Royal Hawaiian Band, the Honolulu Symphony quartet and the bagpipe unit of the Honolulu Police Department. Recently, he's focused on his solo career, leading to his latest invitation to return to the Scottish piping competition.

As it turns out, research shows the bagpipe has a long history that stretches back to the instrument's pre-Scotland eminence in the cultures of North Africa. For Kaio, the instrument has opened a path of discovery, including the self-discovery that comes from setting a goal to become proficient and then working away at it, as he does, by practicing three to four hours a day: Of late, he's wanted to do more to strengthen the Hawai'i-Scotland musical link by forging more of a connection on the Hawai'i side. "I've been experimenting with piping and Hawaiian tunes," he says. "My plan is to record some of the classics like 'Aloha 'Oe' or 'Meleana E.' " Technically speaking, it's not easy to transpose Hawaiian melodies to bagpipe scales, but Kaio's heart is in both, and he is sure he can make it happen. If not at this year's Hawaiian Scottish Festival, he invites us to listen for his success in 2010.

The poet Robert Louis Stevenson described Princess Ka'iulani as the "daughter of a double race," signifying her Hawaiian and Scottish ancestry. – Photo: Courtesy of Bishop Museum Jake Kaio plans to play at two events in early April that honor the Hawaiian and Scottish cultures. Also planned is a Taste of Scotland party at The Willows. Ka'iulani Memorial Thurs., April 2 Mauna'ala, site of the Royal Mausoleum in Nu'uanu Evening memorial honors Princess Ka'iulani, who was once the heir to the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom, through readings and music. Open to the public but space is very limited. Hawaiian Scottish Festival and Highland Games Sat. and Sun., April 4 and 5 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kapi'olani Park Free annual event features an array of competitive games for men and women, Highland dance competition, piping, music, demonstrations of swordplay, weaving and fencing, and vendors hawking Highland wear, Celtic clothing, jewelry and more. Organized by Hawaiian Scottish Association and co-sponsored by the City and County of Honolulu, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, and Hawai'i Tourism Authority. Taste of Scotland The Willows Friday, April 3 5-9 p.m. Kickoff party offers all-you-can-eat pūpū, beer sampling and single-malt Scotch tasting, Scottish music, bagpipers and Scottish dancers – all to help welcome festival visitors from the U.S. continent, Canada, Scotland and around the globe. Tickets for adults are $25 in advance, $30 at the door; $15 for children 12 and under (Children's tickets are the same in advance and at the door.) Reservations, call The Willows: 952-9200 For more information on the festival or Taste of Scotland, visit scotshawaii.org or email scots@hawaii.rr.com.