The Power of Kākou

Grounded by what he learned in his neighborhood church, Brickwood Galuteria embodies a life of public service dedicated to nurturing the well-being of Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians), kūpuna and those with special needs. When “Kūpuna Power”—his TV program created to educate and empower Hawai‘i’s elderly—was relaunched in 2020, Brickwood said in a Ka Wai Ola interview that “It’s a kākou thing.” “Kākou” is an all-inclusive pronoun, equivalent to the English we.” But it’s also all-inclusive in another sense: We’re all in this together and we need to be connected to our community, working together to make the world a better place in which we all can thrive. It is the guiding principle of his heart and life’s work.

At ease interacting with people of all ages from all backgrounds, Brickwood’s “kākou thing” includes serving the public as a senator and in his current role as an Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) trustee. The skills he learned as a tour guide, musician, and radio and TV host underpin his roles as a kūpuna advocate and his success promoting mail-in voting for the Office of Elections. You may remember him as an entertainer, but he is much, much more than that.

A ‘mixed plate’ heritage

Brickwood was born and raised in the Kaka‘ako district of Honolulu. The family home was where Kaka‘ako Gateway Park is now, but back in the 1950s, it was an industrial area with housing behind it. Because of the plantation workers who had moved there in search of better jobs and housing, Kaka‘ako was comprised of various “camps.” The area where the Galuterias lived was known as Japanese Camp. Despite the name, it was a “mixed plate” kind of place where people from many different cultural backgrounds raised their families.

Brickwood’s father, Arnold Galuteria, was one of nine children born to Pedro Galuteria from the Philippines and Rose Galuteria Rodrigues—of Portuguese descent—from Maui.

Arnold married Juliette Kauhi from Kapahulu in back of Waikīkī Beach. Her parents, Joseph and Susie Nani Kauhi (nee Hussey), were from Hawai‘i Island. Their only other child—Brickwood’s uncle—was renowned musician Richard Kauhi, who introduced four-part harmony and jazz piano into Hawaiian music. Brickwood’s paternal grandma, Rose, raised him while his father worked at United Airlines and his mother worked for the City and County of Honolulu.

There’s an interesting story behind Brickwood’s unusual first name. His father served in the Army and was best buddies with fellow soldier Brickwood Cummins. They made a pact to name their first-born sons after each other. Even more interesting is the story behind Brickwood’s middle name. “On my birth certificate is Maikaaloa, but my mom or grandmother purposefully changed it to Malihinimaika‘āina‘e. ‘Malihini’ means ‘visitor or stranger;’ ‘mai ka ‘āina a’e’ means ‘from afar.’ You combine all the different nationalities—Hawaiian, Filipino, Portuguese, English—and it’s like ‘stranger from afar.’”

Church & school

As a child, Brickwood spent a lot of time at Kawaiaha‘o Church, which is right across from Honolulu City Hall. Established under Kuhina Nui (Queen-Regent) Ka‘ahumanu I in 1820, it is affectionately known as “the Mother Church” of Hawai‘i. “That church is basically where we grew up and hung out. My love of performing music came from there. Mom was in the church choir. My two grandpas were deacons at the church. I spent a lot of time there!”

Brickwood also appreciates what the church gave him culturally. “It kind of grounded my concept of kānaka. Even the political perspective— I learned so much on how to approach my politics through church politics. It got me ready, in a sense, for my service. There are different ways to serve. Ultimately, I was able to become a public servant and impact quality of life stuff by shaping policy when I was in the Senate.”

He attended Kamehameha School from kindergarten through high school, graduating in 1973. In an interview for a “Keep It Aloha” podcast in 2024, Brickwood says that “Kamehameha embedded in me the Native Hawaiian ethos, if you will, and informed my decision-making—and it still does.” His time there also led directly into his career as a musician. In high school, he was part of the Concert Glee Club and during his senior year they were recruited by Kalani Cockett, who worked for the O‘ahu Visitors Bureau producing shows promoting Hawai‘i.

Cockett organized the club’s tour of Canada and the continental United States, which gave Brickwood “a taste for the business of show.” When they returned, he and classmates Ken Makuakane, Chris Keliiaa, Miles Kahaloa and Wes Kitaoka formed a musical group called “Na Leo o Kamehameha.” It was during this time that he connected with Marlene Sai—the Grand Dame of Hawaiian music—who worked in administration at Kamehameha and was featured during the tour along with other wahine stars back in the day—Nina Keali‘iwahamana, Emma Veary, Penny Wells and others.

That led to his later becoming part of the orchestra for Marlene Sai’s show at the Monarch Room at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. This set the “stage” for a musical career.

Radio & the evolution of Hawaiian music

After graduating from high school, Brickwood briefly attended Pacific University in Oregon but returned home and started a family. To support them, he worked as a tour director and played guitar in show bands. Brickwood met his wife, Lehua, when she was a hula dancer and he was playing in the band they performed with. “She knocked over my music stand during the performance—and that was the end of that! This was when Waikīkī was just really cooking! Don Ho, Danny Kaleikini, Al Harrington, Dick Jensen, Jimmy Borges and others we emulated all had showrooms. Tavana was at the Moana Hotel. Tihati’s Polynesian Revue was at the Beachcomber. Our aim as tour directors was to provide a memorable visitor experience and to just have some fun. That was the important thing.”

Brickwood’s transition into his career as a radio host stems from a specific moment in 1979. His band played on the top floor of the Oceania Floating Restaurant and Don Ho’s original backing band, The Aliis, played the showroom on the second floor. “I went down to listen to The Aliis and Sam Kapu, who worked with Don Ho and also had a show on-air, asked if I’d be interested in doing radio. I said, ‘I have no compelling need to be behind a microphone on radio, but yeah, sure.’”

The program director at KCCN1420AM was one of Brickwood’s schoolmates, Jackie Rossetti, the Honolulu Skylark. The station’s handle was “The Hawaiian Music Station” because it fore fronted local bands. He was given the traditional time slot for newbie DJs—10pm to 2am. He created a theater of the mind called “The Biggest Little Nightclub in Town.” “We had canned applause and I served as host: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, let’s go back to the stage with more music…’

“We were there when the music was really evolving into different spaces in the post-Don Ho era. As an example, you had The Sunday Manoa—Peter Moon and Robert and Roland Cazimero. They added really cool for-the-young-people kind of instrumental work and their appeal to the younger crowd stuck. There were more different forms evolving. Hawaiian music was really on the cutting edge with all these hybrid genres.”

One of those hybrid genres was a Hawaiian-style reggae that went on to have its own category in the Nā Hōkū Hanohano music awards: Jawaiian. “I was on the table the day that word was coined,” Brickwood says. “That just stuck with us and we took it to the maximum effect.”

It was during his 1980–90 stint as a KCCN radio host that Brickwood himself won two Nā Hōkū awards: Male Vocalist of the Year and Most Promising Artist in 1985. As part of his life of service, in 1990, Brickwood became a board member of the Hawaiian Academy of Recording Artists, which produces the Nā Hōkū awards. He served as its president from 1992 to 1995 and returned as a board member in 2022.

Connecting keiki & heritage

In May 1990, KCCN General Manager Michael Kelly launched a sister Hawaiian music station: KCCN-FM100. Brickwood co-hosted the “Aloha Morning Show” with Kimo Kaho‘āno on that channel and then on Hawaiian KINE-FM105. In 1992, this resourceful duo became part of the Pacific Voyaging Society’s (PVS) “Voyage for Education: No Nā Mamo, For the Children.”

As the PVS web page explains, the navigators and crew members “reached out to thousands of school children in Hawai‘i through a long-distance education program. During the voyage, students tracked the canoe on nautical charts, learned about their Pacific world and used the canoe and its limited supply of food, water and space to explore issues of survival, sustainability and teamwork” (archive.hokulea.com/holokai/1992/no_na_mamo.html).

The “Aloha Morning Show” was part of that effort, with live hook-ups between the studio and the Hōkūle‘a voyaging canoe to receive daily reports of weather conditions, coordinates, etc. Brickwood shared that “Prior to the sail, PVS secured a GPS system under the hull of the wa‘a, communicating its location directly to Hawai‘i, with no communication given to the members on deck above so as not to compromise the wayfinding. After the first leg from Hawai‘i to Tahiti was completed, I joined the crew in Tautira for the next leg to Rarotonga and resumed the daily radio reports with Kimo here at home.”

That leg of the journey lasted from Sept. 1 to Oct. 25. Three days later, in a TV studio at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa and using the UH Peace Satellite, Brickwood and teacher Patty Miller co-hosted a three-way conversation between the studio, the Hōkūle‘a and the space shuttle Columbia as it passed over the Hawaiian Islands. One of the shuttle astronauts, Charles Lacy Veach, was from Hawai‘i. The link-up was broadcast as a Department of Education Distance Learning Technology TV Special (link at the end of article). This was no mean technical feat and the video shows how adept Brickwood was at navigating the technical difficulties inherent in satellite communications.

It also demonstrates his ability to step back and allow others to hold the floor. As well as the co-hosts, in the studio were four school students, plus there were two open phone lines so that students could call in their questions from their schools on O‘ahu and neighbor islands. Brickwood acted as a facilitator of the dialogues between all the different participants, creating a bridge between land, sea and sky. This opportunity to enhance the cultural understanding of the upcoming generation resonated deeply with his commitment to Kānaka Maoli values.

Empowering through policy

Building upon his childhood introduction to politics in his church, Brickwood turned his attention to the political arena. He served as the state chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i from 2004 to 2006 and as the state senator for District 12 from 2008 to 2018, at one point serving as Senate majority leader. Brickwood’s ability as a bridge-builder was particularly useful when it came to his relationship with the Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom, aka “The Lone Ranger” because of his firm convictions, which didn’t necessarily jibe even with his own party members. Slom was the only Republican in the Senate in 2018.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs

After leaving the Senate in 2018, Brickwood continued his service to the Native Hawaiian community as a member of the O‘ahu Island Burial Council. Then in 2022, he became an at-large trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, where he is currently chair of the Committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment. it “focuses on OHA’s legislative and advocacy efforts, as well as programs that address issues relating to health, human services, economic stability, education, native rights, housing, land use, environment and natural resources.”

In April 2025, he wrote “Sustainability Through a Native Hawaiian Lens” for OHA’s newspaper, Ka Wai Ola: “Historically, Hawaiians exemplified sustainable living through the ahupua‘a system, a land division model extending from mountains to sea. This system ensured long-term abundance through collective responsibility.

Today, these principles remain relevant as Hawaiians navigate political, economic, social and environmental challenges.”

Voting by mail campaign

In 2020, he had received a call from the Hawai‘i State Office of Elections asking him to help “ensure a sense of confidence with kūpuna, who were more comfortable with going down to the ballot box in person. He created a network of partners by contacting all of the leaders of nonprofits and other entities that already had strong connections with that demographic. The turnout for the 2020 primary election was 51.2% of registered voters, 98% of the votes being cast by mail. In the General Election it was 69.6%, with 95% of those votes being cast by mail. Furthermore, 60% of those who voted were over the age of 50, including 32% aged 65-plus.

‘Kūpuna Power’ returns!

The principle of “collective responsibility” includes everyone who lives in Hawai‘i, not just Native Hawaiians. It also involves collective action in the form of advocating for change.

While serving in the Senate, Brickwood’s mom asked him to check on her best friend, one of his church aunties. He discovered that fraudsters accompanied her to the bank and drained her account. The immediate concern was that Aunty’s electricity had been cut off and she was using candles, which could have accidentally started a fire.

In his “Keep it Aloha” podcast interview, Brickwood explains how he went back to his office and said to his staff, “Let’s start something called ‘Kūpuna Power!’ What is kūpuna power? It’s a lively, meaningful way that celebrates Hawai‘i’s kūpuna. Kūpuna power is about empowerment and knowing the resources that help us make responsible decisions and become self-advocates. We started by doing a resource fair at the state capitol in April each year.” Each April, the conference committee of each legislative house considers the bills generated in the other house and decides if they progress to being enacted before the legislative session ends in May. Besides connecting kūpuna to resources and organizations that could help them with their needs at the fair, Brickwood and his staff would encourage them to go to their representative’s office to speak with them directly.

He also took the idea to ‘Ōlelo TV, a nonprofit community Public, Education and Government access provider created in 1989 “to empower the voice of the community.” Brickwood had previously been a moderator on ‘‘Ōlelo’s “In-Touch” show in the 1990s, and had also hosted or co-hosted shows on ESPN and KHON TV. From 2011 to 2014, Brickwood was the producer and host for “Kūpuna Power TV” on ‘Ōlelo. In 2020, following his exit from the Senate, he relaunched “Kūpuna
Power” as a half-hour show on KGMB/KHNL/K5, but stopped when he was elected to OHA, unsure of what time commitment would be required.

“After about a year at OHA, I decided I couldn’t also produce a half-hour show once a week. It was too labor-intensive.” Instead, he, Mike Kelly (from his KCCN radio days) and some friends “went to bat” for a short-form version of “Kūpuna Power,” a five-minute segment in KITV’s “Island Life Live” show. It airs once a week on Thursdays at 4:30pm. Since early May of this year, KITV has also been airing “The Best of Kūpuna Power,” reruns of many of the earlier half-hour shows.

In addition, there will be some new one-off shows on specific topics like digital literacy and fall prevention and he plans to use footage he and Kimo have from the 1992 Hōkūle‘a voyage as “Kūpuna Power Remembers No Nā Mamo.” He’ll also revive the tradition of the Christmas special “Kūpuna Kalikimaka.” “The Best of Kūpuna Power” airs each Tuesday on KITV at 12:30pm with an encore each Wednesday at 12:30pm on KIKU, ”Hawaii’s Multi-Cultural TV Station.”

Brickwood and Kimo are also reigniting their co-hosting mojo with a weekly 35- to 45-minute video/radio podcast called “Hawaii Recalls.” “Podcasts are the new radio shows,” he says.

A family man at heart

Brickwood’s time as a young person was lived largely in the public spotlight, as a musician, radio DJ and television personality. But he was also a family man. He and Lehua have five children and 10 grandchildren. “And for us, the diaspora is real, because three of our five children live on the continent. Five of our 10 grandchildren live on the continent, too. We can’t argue with them for wanting a better quality of life for their families, but we’d love to find a pathway back for them.”

One of their sons lives with them, or as Brickwood says, “We like to say we live with him. Shawn is our gift from God. He has Down syndrome. When he was born, we were told that kids like him had a length of life only into their 20s, especially as they have a propensity for heart conditions. He had to have major surgery for a hole in his heart at the age of three. We had a big celebration for him recently when he turned 50! He brings a centering to our lives that is just unconditional.”

Having Shawn in the family contributed to Brickwood’s decision to add the special needs community into his life of service as a board member for Hawai‘i Special Olympics and the Hawai‘i Association of Retarded Citizens, which is nowadays known simply as ARC. Although it is common to use the term “disability” and “special needs” when speaking of people like Shawn, Brickwood expresses the belief that he has “different abilities” and that we all have special needs. Those terms should not be used to exclude this community of people from the activities we all enjoy as part of our daily lives.

It’s a kākou thing…

KŪPUNA POWER
info@wearekupuna.com | wearekupuna.com
“Kūpuna Power” 5 min. segments
KITV “Island Life Live”: Thursdays, 4:40pm

“The Best of Kūpuna Power” (replays of TV shows)
KITV: Tuesdays, 12:30–1pm
KIKU: Wednesdays, 12:30–1pm

Youtube videos:
Hokūle‘a Talks to Space Shuttle Columbia
bit.ly/HokuleaTalksToShuttle
Hawaii Recalls
bit.ly/KupunaPower-HawaiiRecalls
Keep it Aloha podcast, Brickwood Galuteria: From entertainment to politics, and empowering Kūpuna
bit.ly/KupunaPower-KeepItAlohaGaluteria