David M. Kupele

Born: October 21, 1922 at the Kalaupapa the Hansen's Disease settlement, where his parents were quarantined, his father having Hansen's disease and living in forced quarantine. Died: May 14, 2003, Honolulu. After his birth, Kupele was taken to Honolulu to live with relatives and sometimes on his own. As a teenager he was a cowboy on the Island of Molokai but dwelling in Kalaupapa with his parents and some of his 11 siblings. He was self-taught as a musician, playing bass and ukulele and singing and in time composing songs. He performed with Alfred Apaka and other musicians. The submitter got to meet him and sit in on ukulele classes that he taught. The artist wrote songs set in Hawaii and with Hawaii themes and devotional songs.