A third generation Kama’aina from Kauai, Bradajo, aka Jozuf Hadley, is a poet, storyteller, artist, teacher and philosopher. He has worked within the medium of Pidgin for over three decades.

Hawaiian Pidgin English is the unique grassroots soul talk of a multicultural Hawaii and is traditionally an oral language where the passing of knowledge occurred by word of mouth. In the late sixties, Bradajo developed the first written form—a phonetic cursive or calligraphy, he renders by hand. As a means to further express his simple and profound poetry, Bradajo uses this calligraphy as accompaniment to the spoken word, making it an oral/aural experience for the participant. Using this amalgamation of senses he tell his stories which range from tales of local Hawaiian heroes, to reflections of a childhood in the jungles of Kauai in the 1940’s, to deeper, quieter reflections on nature, life and creation. Bradajo’s unique style is self described as “Haiku Pidgin Poetry” so as to highlight the sense of quiet that permeates his work.

First published in 1972, Chaloookyu Eensai was released as a spiral bound “notebook” (resembling a composition book) filled with his bold calligraphy and was accompanied by a recording of his narration in old style Kaua’i Pidgin. Now considered a classic in this genre, Chaloookyu Eensai (try look you inside) was one of the first published works to depict pidgin in writing, helping legitimize pidgin as a spoken and written language. It was recently reprinted and includes a CD of Bradajo’s narration and translations of the title piece in the major languages from which this soul talk of the Islands is derived.

His most recent hardback book with CD, Avebade Bade (everybody’s body) is the poet’s response to the events of 9/11 and is an inner call to multicultural Hawai'i to live the aloha we advertise—aloha being the actual essence of that which we all are.

Bradajo calls for us to look within to remember the oneness we humans share with each other, our natural world and the universe—a connection we’ve forgotten in our blind rush to find ourselves outside ourselves.

Primarily self-published, Bradajo offers a variety of audio CDs and books. Many books are accompanied by audio recordings, which enable the listener to experience Bradajo’s voice while reading the unique, handwritten pidgin calligraphy. Thereby connecting the words with the artists’ hand and voice, giving the Bradajo experience.

Bradajo gives regular poetry readings in pidgin, conducts workshops and lectures throughout the islands.

MORE ABOUT PIDGIN

Pidgin English is any language spontaneously created as a means of communication between speakers of different tongues. Pidgin Hawaiian originated as a form of communication between native and non-native speakers on the plantations has been influenced by many languages including Portuguese, Hawaiian, and Cantonese. It further evolved as people of other nationalities were brought to work on the plantations such as Japanese, Filipinos and Koreans.

Hawaiian Pidgin English is what linguists refer to as Hawaii Creole English and supplanted the Pidgin Hawaiian used on the plantations in Hawai’i. Pidgin becomes Creole languages when a generation whose parents speak pidgin to each other, teach it to their children as their first language. Knowledge of Pidgin is considered by many to be an important part of being considered “local,” regardless of racial and socioeconomic background.

PHOTO: CHARLIE MEYERS