By Sarah Hendrix | Staff Writer

This year, KCC’s International Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary from March 19-22. Students, faculty, staff and the community are encouraged to attend the events offered throughout the week. To celebrate the International Festival’s 30th anniversary, there will be new events to commemorate the occasion as well as highlighted performances from previous years.

There will be international movies, skits, songs, dances, food and guest speakers throughout the week celebrating cultures found around the globe. Carl Hefner, a professor who teaches Anthropology at KCC, has been organizing and directing the International Festival since 1992. This year Hefner has highlighted a few of the highly anticipated events in this year’s schedule.

A few highlights to be expected over the week are:

International Parade of Cultures
Monday: 12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. will be campus wide.

For students interested in joining the International Parade, there will be a meeting on March 16 in the International Cafe from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Photo by Sarah Hendrix)

All international students are invited to sign up and wear the clothing of their country. There will be a meeting held March 16 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the International Cafe for students who still want to sign up for the parade. The students marching will be led by SANGO who is a former Broadway performer and drummer. The parade will start by going around the Great Lawn and will finish in the ʻŌhiʻa Cafeteria.

Kenny Endo and the Taiko Center of the Pacific
Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in ʻŌhiʻa Cafeteria.

A favorite past performance at the International Festival is coming again this year. Kenny Endo and the Taiko Center of the Pacific play traditional instruments originally found in the Kabuki theater. Endo combines classical instruments with contemporary sounds in a performance that is rare for students to hear.

“It’s a rare opportunity for the students to catch this [Endo’s performance],” Hefner said, “because usually he’ll be performing at the Hawaiʻi Theater or for many festivals around town, and special ceremonies at the Japanese Chamber of Commerce.”

The Music and Dance of Tahiti
Thursday: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. in ʻŌhiʻa Cafeteria.

Jane Moulin, who has a PhD in Ethnomusicology and is the director of the UH Tahitian Dance Ensemble, will be bringing a group of students who are currently enrolled in Tahitian dance to perform. This event is highly anticipated for its lively set of music and dances.

To view the full schedule for KCC’s International Festival, click here.
For more information contact Carl Hefner at hefner@hawaii.edu.