Description

Who is Olomwaay?

Olomwaay (olom-why) is a Refaluwasch (Carolinian) word that means “Peace, God bless, and thank you.” A long time ago, our great aunt Florencia Kaipat Seman, who was involved in creating the very first Carolinian dictionary, was asked if Carolinians had their own word for “thank you.” (Carolinians typically used “ghilisow” (hili-so), which is actually Chuukese). When she mentioned the word Olomwaay, she was laughed at, and it was rejected because it sounded like another less socially acceptable word. She was a bit hurt by that. When she told me that story, I vowed to promote the word as much as possible in her honor. So it was my only choice when it came time to name our band and company.”–Gus Kaipat”

The Olomwaay Mission Statement

“It’s our calling to share indigenous Refaluwasch and Chamorro music with the world. We’re also committed to preserving those cultures by telling our own stories.”–Gus Kaipat

Read more at : https://www.olomwaayband.com/