Page 12 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
Asian Heritage Issue
May 5, 2014
Pacific Heartbeat film anthology
honors heritage of Pacific Islanders
GOLDEN CELEBRATION. The history and
culture of Pacific Island culture is featured in Pacific
Heartbeat, a series airing on Oregon Public Broad-
casting during the month of May. In “Hula: The Merrie
Monarch’s Golden Celebration” (pictured), which airs
May 20 at 11:00pm, viewers have a front-row seat to
the 50th anniversary of the Merrie Monarch Hula Fes-
tival. (Photo courtesy of Pacific Islanders in Communi-
cations)
By Pamela Ellgen
The Asian Reporter
acific Heartbeat, a series of artful
documentaries celebrating the
people, culture, and history of
Pacific Islanders — the indigenous people
of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia —
kicks off its third season on Oregon Public
Broadcasting during Asian Heritage
Month. The series is available through a
collaboration
between
independent
producers and three public television
organizations: PBS Hawaii, Pacific
Islanders in Communications (PIC), and
American Public Television (APT).
The new season of Pacific Heartbeat
includes four segments. Musicians Robert
and Roland Cazimero are the focus of the
first show, while research about a rare
disease found on a remote island is
brought to light in the second. The 50th
anniversary of the Merrie Monarch Hula
Festival is featured in the third episode
and two people who are considered
masters in Hawaiian culture are
highlighted in the fourth.
“Pure Caz: Music of
the Brothers Cazimero”
Viewers can lose themselves in the
soothing harmonies of brothers Robert and
Roland Cazimero in “Pure Caz: Music of
the Brothers Cazimero.” The documentary
features a compilation of music performed
in studio as well as conversations between
the brothers about their childhood, their
evolution as performers, and their lasting
legacy.
P
Robert confesses that initially he didn’t
appreciate traditional Hawaiian music.
“We did not like Auntie Genoa, we didn’t
like Mahi Beamer, and all those people,
because we were rock ‘n’ roll kids,” he says,
laughing. However, eventually they had a
chance to meet these legends and changed
their tune.
“All these people knew our mom and
dad, and so, we were accepted, and we
were loved because of that. And with that
acceptance came support, and love, which
made it so much easier for us in so many
different ways.”
The brothers recall their last per-
formances at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in
1994. Although their audiences have not
seen the show in 20 years, they still
remember it as if it were yesterday.
“If we can, as the Brothers Cazimero, hit
a certain note, play a certain chord, do a
song that they love and get somewhere
close to what they remember it being, we
live on,” Robert says. “If 200 years from
now, a capsule was opened, I think I would
like for whoever is there to say, ‘This is a
part of a living culture that lives ’til today.’
That would be an amazing, amazing feat.”
“Pure Caz: Music of the Brothers
Cazimero” airs May 6 at 11:00pm on
Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB). The
show repeats May 13 at 8:00pm on OPB
Plus.
“The Illness & The Odyssey”
In “The Illness & The Odyssey,” film-
makers follow years of scientific research
and uncover competing hypotheses about
the nature of Lytico-Bodig, a deadly
neurodegenerative disease affecting up to
10 percent of Guam’s population at one
time and as many as 35 percent in the
small village of Umatac. Could it be
genetics? Diet? Environment? While
scientists try to find the answers, the
people of Guam grow weary of the endless
testing and continued suffering.
“The Illness & The Odyssey,” which airs
May 13 at 11:00pm on OPB with a repeat
on May 20 at 8:00pm on OPB Plus, offers a
heartbreaking but compassionate look at
the individuals affected by Lytico-Bodig
and even explores unscientific, spiritual
explanations for the disease. The film’s
mystery will keep viewers entranced —
and hypochondriacs a little on edge — from
beginning to end.
“Hula: The Merrie Monarch’s
Golden Celebration”
“Hula: The Merrie Monarch’s Golden
Celebration” gives viewers a front-row
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