Give, Never Expect, and then Give Some More: The Jon Mozo Celebration

"Saint Jon" Mozo tattoo on brother Chris' arm.

“Nikki has started a foundation and her main goal is to open a center for the youth in Hau‘ula,” family friend Kelly Bishop explains. “The foundation will also provide scholarship funds for college and start a Tahitian exchange program so students from Tahiti can come here for college.” All the proceeds from the celebration go toward the foundation’s goal of opening the youth center.

“Our way to grieve is to carry on Jon’s work,” wife Nikki explains. “Recently moving back to Hau‘ula right before he died, we wanted to make a difference in the community. Jon felt most himself when he could be with kids, so we started a foundation where we can help the kids and provide services for them. They can hang out, learn to grow, have wholesome fun, and be guided and supported.”

After Jon and Nikki originally met at the Polynesian Cultural Center, (she was dancing, he was taking pictures), they went to a movie and quickly fell in love. Nikki, from New Zealand, moved to Hawai‘i when she was 18, met Jon at 19 and married him at 20.

“Jon’s legacy is love,” Nikki says. “Basically to treat everybody you meet with love, and that shows through in his art. When you wonder what makes it different, it’s that he loves the ocean, he loves life and loves the people in his life. That’s why he was able to produce such pure work.” According to Nikki, Jon loved to go to Tahiti because the love there is so pure. “You ask a person, ‘Oh, where’d you get your hat?’ and they give it to you. That’s how we need to be. One of Jon’s quotes was: ‘Give, don’t expect, and then give some more.’ That’s a main part of his legacy we want to promote”

Jon’s son Makana, a 13-year-old Kahuku student, already owns a camera housing and shoots photos. Makana remembers how his dad always took everyone in. “No one was ever left out,” he recalls. “He was just super friendly and wanted to share something with everyone, and that’s kind of what his legacy is.”

As lead singer of The Jon Mozo Tribute Band, Chris Mozo was joined in the packed outdoor concert with entertainment from Three Plus, O-Shen, Brother Noland, BET, Weldon Kekauoha, Nä Palapalai, Ernie Cruz, Guy Cruz, Vaihi, hula dancers from Kumu Hula Sonny Ching’s Hälau Nä Mamo ‘O Pu‘uanahulu and comedians Augie Tulba and Da Braddahs. While Chris rocked on stage, older brother Allen Mozo circled the grounds taking photos. It was apparent that these brothers have all followed creative ways of making a living.