Rise Up Hawaii's Hip Hop Improv Night

This event was held on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 9 p.m. in Ka Lounge.

Rising up to make a difference

by Alyssa Amasol

One organization’s efforts to raise money here in Hawaii are reaching across the globe. Rise Up Hawaii is an organization dedicated to making a difference in the world by spreading awareness of social injustices and inspiring communities to institute real change. They utilize talents of local artists as a creative way to fundraise for non-profit organizations invested in causes they want to raise awareness about. 

“We are a grassroots movement that emerged with a mission to educate and promote positive activism within our communities through the use of our creative talents,” a statement on their website said.

Rise Up Hawaii started in 2010 when the earthquake rocked Haiti. Founder Joel Gaspar used to help put concerts together for Invisible Children so people came to him wanting to put together a benefit concert for Haiti. In March 2010, he helped organize Rise Up for Haiti at SoHo Mixed Media Bar in Chinatown, a collaboration with The American Red Cross. They featured 30 musicians and raised about $3,000. With the success of this event, Rise Up Hawaii could not stop there.

“It was supposed to be a one time thing but it got so big and lots of people wanted to be involved that it turned into a movement,” Gaspar said.

They decided to do an event every other month for a certain cause. The goal of Rise Up Hawaii is “to team up with non-profit organizations and help them raise money,” Gaspar said. “We’re pretty much like a crutch to help them out.”

“We try to teach people not to wait for the world to change but to actually get up and do something,” Gaspar said.

Since their establishment in 2010, they have put on five benefit events for various causes and teamed up with six non-profit organizations on the local, national and even international level.

In May 2010 they hosted another benefit concert, Rise Up Against Animal Cruelty, in collaboration with The Hawaiian Humane Society and The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They featured acoustic sets, slam poetry, hip-hop freestyle battles, food and drinks at Tropics Café. They raised $650 for The Hawaiian Humane Society for Animal Cruelty. However, when people asked where the money went and how it was being used, Rise Up Hawaii had no answer other than it was being donated.

To close up 2010, Rise Up Hawaii took a new approach and instead of teaming up with another non-profit organization, they took the money directly to the cause. In November 2010, Rise Up Hawaii hosted a benefit concert for Hawaii’s homeless at Fresh Café, their largest event so far. All proceeds from this event went to a special project called “Project Care Package,” where bags containing first aid kits, flash lights, blankets, hygiene items, and canned foods were put together and distributed to Hawaii’s homeless that desperately needed it. Along with the benefit concert, they also featured a special screening of “Blue Tarp City” directed by Henry Mochida and had special guest, Representative Tom Brower, who talked about HC114, a bill that Rise Up Hawaii tried to pass into legislature.

In May 2011, Rise Up Hawaii teamed up with The American Red Cross again to put on Rise Up for Japan in a much more intimate setting at Blue Ocean Thai. With six performers and three artists showcasing their work, Rise Up Hawaii raised about $150 in donations that all went to help with relief efforts in Japan.

More recently, Rise Up Hawaii collaborated with Sunday Jams, an organization housed in Hawaiian Brian’s that provides a comfortable environment for people to develop their musical talents. They hold open mic nights every Sunday night and occasional band nights. Together, Sunday Jams and Rise Up Hawaii have teamed up with Charity:Water to raise $5,000 by the end of the year to provide an impoverished village in Africa with one clean water well. In November 2011 they held a hip-hop night at Ka Lounge featuring over eight musicians and DJs to help raise awareness and funds for Charity:Water.

Their goal is to raise $5,000 to help build a water well in Africa. With one water well 250 people will be supplied with clean water for life. Between August and November they’ve raised more than $2,000 to support this cause.

“It’s a life-changing thing,” Gaspar said. “When we think numbers, it’s a lot, but we could actually make a huge difference.”

Rise Up Hawaii desires to educate young people and inspire them to make a difference with whatever they’re been gifted at.

“I've had the honor of performing at several of Rise-Up's charity events, and I have to say, they are a great bunch to work with,” said Amanda Frazier, a musician who performed at Rise Up for Japan. “Their events not only bring a wide range of people together to raise money for charity, but they are able to raise awareness to the local community about situations happening all around the world.”

Rise Up Hawaii has gained supporters through their partnerships with organizations like Sunday Jams and Innovative Concepts, a church that meets in Hawaiian Brian’s and sponsors Sunday Jams. One supporter, MJ Rodriguez made herself available to help.

“I think when you look at it, there’s 46 total people but the people who actually put it on is a small group of about 8 or 10 people,” Rodriguez said. “A small group with big ambitions… Their passion is contagious.”

In their partnership with Sunday Jams, a fairly novice group housed at Hawaiian Brian’s, Gaspar went to them with his idea to raise money with Charity:Water.

“It brought a sense of humanity that I feel like Sunday Jams is very much a part of,” said Duane Fukumoto, co-director of Sunday Jams.

For recent graduate of University of Hawaii at Manoa and co-director of Sunday Jams Chaz Umamoto, was on the Rise Up Hawaii committee and thought it was important to partner with other local organizations for a good cause.

“Being a musician myself, I played in a band with gigs every other week and it gets tiring,” Umamoto said. “But when you’re playing for causes like Haiti or Japan it makes you feel good about yourself. It takes the focus off yourself and onto something bigger.”

Through all their benefit concerts, Rise Up Hawaii has made an impact locally, nationally and internationally. Their efforts to change the world have impacted Hawaii by bringing awareness to many people. Follow their efforts at www.riseuphawaii.org.

5 Months, 5 Events, $5,000

by Brittany Hale

Rise Up Hawaii is a movement and fundraising group that adopts different charities to raise money through art and donations. Their goal as a group is to raise and spread awareness about the injustices of our society as well as make a difference in the world. They are doing so through art and non-profit events like open mic nights and hip-hop nights where all profits go to the charity they are working with at that time. 

They have worked together with many charities to raise money for: Haiti, animal cruelty, homelessness, Japan, and now for Water. Currently, Rise Up Hawaii is attempting to raise $5,000 in five months so that they can build a well in an area that needs clean water. Many people do not realize that there are many children who are not getting sufficient amounts of clean drinking water. Some people have to walk hours just to get to decent drinking water or wait hours at wells for their turn. This well will provide clean water for an entire village so that they can nourish their bodies and keep themselves and their families hydrated and healthy. 

"Sunday Jams is not meant to be a money-making organization," said co-host of Sunday Jams, Duane Fukumoto. "It is a project based on charity and it's all about meeting people and connections."

As you walk into the hip-hop improv night, your vibe will immediately change. People stop you to inform you about the event and the charity that they are raising money for as well as fill you in on what is going on. There are many performers lined up to get on stage and all have different goals with their music as well as different inspirations. They all perform from passion and with the desire to help out the water charity and raise awareness among the audience. 

Shane Tauefa said, "What inspires me is my girlfriend."

His girlfriend, Chrissy Hee, followed his comment and said, "We met before he started getting involved with Rise Up Hawaii, so I told him about the open mic nights. I felt like it was a good way for him to get his voice out there." 

Shane attended the hip-hop improv night but also participates in Sunday Jams with his girlfriend, Chrissy, by his side. 

"Sunday Jams was started by my church," said Chase Gawiran. "There are many people with talent, some have even be signed on the spot. Personally, I'm inspired to write by my family, things I see everyday, love, unity, friendship, and also sometimes I make my music to vent my feelings and the things that I am going through." 

Gawiran performed at the Hip-Hop improv night and got the whole audience involved. He was connecting with many, and you could see it through their faces and their reactions to his music. He was in the zone, focused, and you could tell that he really was passionate about what he was doing. 

Another group that performed was Oh My God Charlie Darwin. They also had the entire audience involved, and were the main group doing the improv. From rapping about new shoes to Twilight, they improvised and worked with any topics that they were presented with. Each member of the group brought their own flavor and style to the performance and their connection with each other was obvious. They were all on the same page and connecting with each other through their music, their art. 

"It's a representative of the ironies of this world that is a reflection of our music," said Andrew Dames when asked about his group's name. "On top of that, we're a funky trio and love saying epic things, like: Oh My God Charlie Darwin!!"

Upon being asked what the group is inspired by, Dames said, "I would say everyday occurrences that the news doesn't focus on. They go on tantrums about Charlie Sheen and Natalie Holloway, but have scarce coverage on genocide in the Congo, the Occupy Movement, corruption and toxins in the food supply, corporate and military superiority, and the list goes on. Personally, I connect words with music in manner to inspire others."

If you or anyone you know is interested in Rise Up Hawaii or attending Sunday Jams, you can go to www.RiseUpHawaii.org to find more information on event times, special events, different charities they are working with, and also the story behind why they are teaming up with specific charities. Help Raise Up Hawaii spread knowledge and awareness throughout the island.