Four Kamehameha Schools Kapālama students have formed a Hawaiian music group called ʻĀlewa, a hopeful story about young people carrying the culture forward.

• The band is made up of four students — three of them seniors — playing ukulele, guitar, and upright bass.
• They named the group to honor the school where they met and where their love of Hawaiian music grew.
• All four say Hawaiian music is the one style they would keep if they had to choose, over R&B, jazz, and reggae.
• They see the music as proof of survival, since the Hawaiian language and traditions were once banned.
• Their plan is to record their own songs and tour beyond Hawaiʻi to share the culture.

Outlook: With most of the group graduating this year, the next step is recording music and staying together as a band.