Kealii Reichel
Carleton Lewis Kealiʻinaniaimokuokalani Reichel (born June 26, 1962) popularly known as Kealiʻi Reichel (pronounced kay-ə-LEE-ee rye-SHEL), is a singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, chanter, scholar, teacher, and personality from Hawaiʻi. He has spent his life educating the world about Hawaiian culture through music and dance.
Reichel was born and raised on the island of Maui. He grew up in the town of Lahaina where he attended Lahainaluna High School, however he spent weekends and summers with his maternal grandmother in the plantation town of Pāʻia. At the age of 24, Reichel was convicted of theft, and was sentenced to community service, which involved a study of Hawaiian culture. This marked a turning point in his life, as he decided to devote the rest of his life to the study and promotion of Hawaiian culture.
Reichel was one of the founding directors for Punana Leo O Maui, a Hawaiian language immersion pre-school. He has taught Hawaiian culture and language at the University of Hawaiʻi's Maui Community College, and he was the Cultural Resource Specialist and curator at the Bailey House Museum in Wailuku.
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