Artists go green at home and on stage
December 16, 2009 • Kaela Shiigi
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Top Stories
Amy Hanaiali’i’s home on the island of Moloka’i serves as what she considers an “extreme” example of sustainable living. Her 80-acre farm produces food for her and her family without the use of chemicals.
During the Green Aloha Concert, she connected her green values with her music. Accompanied by other musicians like Henry Kapono, she performed a free show put on by the City and County of Honolulu to share a message of sustainability.
Attendee Joana Yasui thought that the booths at the concert were very informative and enjoyed the free gifts that were handed out to promote awareness.
For many musicians, concerts are no longer a festival of loud music but venues to promote sustainability. Many are taking steps to become environmentally responsible and to promote awareness.
Green concerts range from small festivals to worldwide events. In 2007, former vice-president Al Gore put on a global concert called Live Earth. Many musicians and celebrities shared their talents to promote climate change awareness. Performances were broadcasted on TV and via Internet from every continent, including a group of scientists who played for an audience of penguins in Antarctica.
A company called Reverb has partnered up with many artists who want to “green” their tours. They set up educational booths, purchase carbon credits to offset travel, and fuel tour busses with biodiesel.
One of the most notable green musicians is Jack Johnson. He not only records in a solar powered studio and sings children’s songs about recycling, but runs a foundation as well.
For five consecutive years, Johnson put on a concert called “Kokua Fest” as a fundraiser for Kokua Foundation, a foundation that sponsors environmental programs.
He and his other environmentally minded musician friends sold out the Waikiki Shell for the past few years.
However, not all concertgoers see the concert as a way to learn about sustainability.
“The message to people got murky,” said attendee Cristin Lim ‘11. She was disappointed that people used the concert to make money for themselves by selling the tickets at inflated rates.
Many of the songs Hanaiali’i sang during the Green Aloha Concert focused around her love of the islands and their natural beauty. She believes that Hawai’i can be the forerunner to teach the world about being ecofriendly, a message she tried to convey to the audience.
“We have all the resources to do it,” she said.
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