Island Block Podcasters

Sulu’ape Si’isi’ialafia Liufau - Si’i to his friends - is the most avid Fisherman we know. Every week, he spends several days out on the ocean fishing.  Check his social media and you’ll often find him posing with a huge fish he’s caught that day.  But don’t interpret that to mean that he’s not working hard as an artist.  He’s is the founder and owner of A-Town Tattoo in Garden Grove, CA, and one of the very few artists who can give you a traditional Samoan tattoo, working with ‘au – the traditional hand tools -  in the mainland United States (or even Hawaii).  The fact that he is a much-sought-after tattoo artist speaks to his grit and determination (something he also expresses in the tattoo he created for a NA KOA wallet).    Like many tattoo artists, Si'i started out tattooing himself with a homemade tattoo machine, then tattooed friends who asked him to, and eventually got a job in a tattoo shop, doing portraits, lettering. color pieces, as well as black and grey, work modern style tattoos.  His American Samoan family and Samoan friends started asking him for Samoan tattoos and he got serious about Polynesian tattoos and learning all he could about them- the techniques, the motifs, their placement, and their meaning in the Samoan culture.  But what changed his life was meeting Su’a Sulu’ape Alaiva’a Petelo, the head of one of the two legendary families of tatau masters, in 2008.  He asked Su’a Alaiva’a for a tattoo on his forearm, so that he could observe and learn. He eventually also got tattoos from other members of the Sulu’ape family, including his malofie (pe’a).   That was the start of 7 years of service to Su’a Alaiva’a, and learning about tatau from the legendary master.  Si’i’s tutelage culminated in being given the title Sulu’ape in 2015. The Sulu’ape title elevated Si’i to the rank of an orator chief. It also comes with the responsibility of keeping the tatau tradition alive, as well as evolving it into the future.  Si’i and his work were featured in the International exhibit TATAU Marks of Polynesia, and the accompanying exhibition catalog and documentary.

#MyzLulu welcomes a true small business that continues to give back to its community, #TastyBlockHawaiianShavedIce out of Carson, California.  Chris and Jennifer Pacleb, owners and operators of Tasty Block Hawaiian Shaved Ice have been not only serving up tropical frosty treats for nearly a decade but also included giving back to their community as part of their motto. Tasty Block has close ties to many current Island Reggae artists to date namely, Common Kings, Sammy J, Tenelle, Jordan T, Fiji just to name a few. The relationships between Tasty Block and your favorite Islanesian artists and influencers have gone as far as naming some of their featured items after the Common Kings and even our very own, Island Block Bar. Sit back and watch a true example of small businesses and entrepreneurs that believed in their concept and bet it all while still giving back to their community.    

Chris Pacleb. Born and raised in Carson. Family from the Philippines but migrated to Molokai Hawaii in the 1940s. Filipino Owner/Operator of TastyBlock Shave Ice shop in Carson & TastyBlock Truck. Jennifer Tumulak-Pacleb, a family from the Philippines came to New York City in the 1970s. Filipino, Born in Brooklyn NY, raised in Lakewood, CA. Owner TastyBlock Shave Ice and TastyBlock Truck. Interim Director - Kaiser Permanente Hospital. Kid’s: Matthew 11, Lily 9.  

TastyBlock Shave Ice started in 2011 as a weekend thing selling at Farmers Markets and local festivals. Based out of Artesia. Jen was a full-time nurse and I was working full time in a restaurant as an operating partner and doing shave ice as a side gig for fun and extra income. We started to get booked for catering every weekend and sometimes weekdays so decided to open up a small shop in 2014 in my hometown of Carson. Left my full-time job to run the shop. 2015 added our dessert truck to expand our catering. Our shop offers shaved ice, Dole whip, Harder's Hawaii tropical slushies, Lappert's ice cream, Acai bowls, halo halo, and ice cream dip bars. Specialize in catering from small private events to large festivals and company events.  Current operating hours Closed on Mondays Tues-Sun 1 pm-7 pm Hours will expand after June 15 @tastyblockshaveice @tastyblocktruck

#MyzLulu welcomes an extraordinary individual to Episode 12 of #EveryoneLovesLulu, #CoachKennyMarie. Her real name is Kenya but she goes by Kenny aka Coach Kenny Marie. Born and raised in Orange County, California, and she currently lives in Costa Mesa!! 26 years old and she has been married for the last two years, although they're currently on a break. lol.  For the first five years of her life, Kenny was raised by a single mother and grandmother. She never lived with her father and really didn't know him until she was a teenager. Kenny definitely had an interesting upbringing with a lot of trials and tribulations but at the end of the day, it was fun, because she lived in a loving home with her mother. Throughout high school and college, Kenny worked extremely hard to support herself.  

Kenny Marie graduated from college in three years with a B.S. in Psychology, and then went on to Graduate school and received her MA in Social Work.  Throughout her collegiate career, she worked several jobs specifically in fitness. Whether it was at a gym or coaching little kids soccer, Kenny Marie following graduate school worked for Child Protective Services for the County of Orange for a couple of years until September 2020. She then decided to bet on herself and quit her government job to focus solely on building an online coaching fitness brand. #BeyondThePhysical was launched in March 2020 and has grown exponentially since then. Coach Kenny Marie has over 60 clients alongside several coaches both men and women from all across the nation. A large part of the program is incorporating Coach Kenny Marie's background in Psychology with her love and passion for fitness. Beyond The Physical incorporates the psychology behind individual daily habits and the reasoning behind its repetition.  Lastly, Coach Kenny Marie focuses on what changes each client needs to make in order to accomplish their fitness goals.

#MyzLulu welcomes a true cultural avant-garde to Episode 11 of #EveryoneLovesLulu, HEIDI CHARGUALAF QUENGA aka "Aunty Heidi."  #HeidiChargualafQuenga is an Accounting/Operations Manager who holds a B.S. in Business Management. Her involvement and efforts to preserve Pacific Islander heritages stem from her tenured Directorship with the award-winning Kutturan Chamoru Foundation (KCF), a tuition-free 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the Chamoru culture through song and dance from the Mariana Islands in Micronesia since 1993. Aunty Heidi is the 1st Pacific Islander to receive the California Arts Council Artist-In-Residence from 2000 -2002 and was bestowed the title of Fafa’någue by the Master of Chamorro Dance, Saina Frank Rabon of Tao Tao Tano, Guahan in 2019. She continues her efforts to ensure the inclusion of all Pacific Islanders as a Cultural Advisor to countless community groups, projects, universities, and initiatives across the Continental US and the Mariana Islands to include her work with the SoCal Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response Team as the Community Engagement Lead and the Pacific Islander Health Partnership’s current Vice President.

#MyzLulu welcomes some very special guests to Episode 10 of #EveryoneLovesLulu, the #FOUMovement aka #FaatasigaOUsos (Translation: Gathering of Brothers). Recently assembled the FOU Movement is comprised of 20 reputable Usos from different hoods both Blood and Crips out of Carson, Compton, Long Beach down to Santa Ana, Oceanside, and San Diego.   The FOU Movement is the very first of its kind to bring together former sworn enemies in the streets but now usos under God. Many of the members of the FOU Movement were formerly incarcerated in the California state and federal penitentiary systems tallying up easily over 100 years combined. One of the founders and chairman, Valentino Luafalemana mentions how the movement organically came together through the sharing of daily gospel devotionals during the pandemic with several current members which then led to very intentional conversations of the need and want for change between the various Samoan blood and crip hoods. So out of these conversations, the FOU Movement was born. Currently, the FOU Movement is working towards attaining its 501c3 status. The mission of the FOU Movement is to bring to light the darkness we once lived. Restoring hope to our communities by empowering the youth and providing resources for addicts and former inmates. The vision of the FOU Movement is to create a safe space for youth and the community at large that seek assistance with workforce development, addiction recovery, prison reentry programs, and youth empowerment.

#MyzLulu welcomes the Michaelangelo of the Pacific Islands #JasonPereira aka JP to Everyone Loves Lulu, Episode 9.  JP / Jason Pereira is a graphic artist of Samoan descent (with a lil’ Portuguese!). Born and raised in Carson, he now resides in Garden Grove with his wife and son. JP has been an artist his entire life. As a kid he found inspiration in his father’s architectural work and discovered his love for island culture during the summers he spent in American Samoa, attending cultural art workshops at the museum. As a teen and into adulthood, Jason’s creative interests gravitated towards graffiti art, but he always carried the artistry of his Pacific Island culture with him. Jason sought his education in Graphic Design and Murals, which led him to create his own apparel line JP, South Pacific. From that time to today, he has served the Pacific Islander communities as a resource in creating logos, t-shirt art, event branding, book cover design for the various non-profit, small business, and educational organizations. He also mentors students and young artists in sharing his experiences, processes, and art business practices. Currently, JP is the Artist-In-Residence at PIEAM (Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum) in downtown Long Beach. There he participates as an artist in ongoing exhibits, he also holds art workshops and student talks, as well as works on his own creative projects, graphic design, and commissioned works.  It’s important for Jason to tell a story through his artwork. There's always a story in what his pieces are about, what the creation process was, or even whatever drama or craziness that it took to get it done! Telling a story is innate to his culture as well as being essential to making a human connection with others. Because of JP's influences from his Pacific Island, graffiti art, and graphic design cultures, you'll often find his style to be multi-layered, telling multi-stories, using multi-materials to make the works he creates.

#MyzLulu welcomes the man behind the man, #BigDaveUiagalelei to #EveryoneLovesLulu. For most of his life, Big Dave has served as the bodyguard for Rihanna, Chris Brown, Nick Cannon, Dj Khaled, and Meek Mill just to name a few. Besides working for Hollywood's elite, Big Dave has ventured into elite athletic training especially after raising his own sons, the young phenoms, #DJUiagalelei of the University of Clemson, and his younger son, #MatayoUiagalelei at St. John Bosco High School. If he's not working alongside Hollywood's A-Listers then he's coaching up the NFL's next generation of superstars. Check out the story behind the bigger-than-life personality of BIG DAVE UIAGALELEI.

#MyzLulu welcomes the one and only #AntyMitasKookies to remedy everyone's sweet tooth craving.  A local phenom within her community ANTY MITA has been able to share family recipes of your favorite Polynesian pastries with so many across the west coast. Sit back and check out the story behind the famed sweets. Make sure you get your fix of ANTY MITA'S KOOKIES & PASTRIES because she truly believes that "My Sweetness Is Your Weakness."

#MyzLulu welcomes therapist extraordinaire, #DianaVogel #TheSassyTherapist to #EveryoneLovesLulu, episode six. Diana Vogel is a Mother, Wife, Licensed Therapist, Motivational Speaker, Educator, Advocate, Doctorate Student. As a psychotherapist, Diana believes in the power of change, and that everyone is capable of achieving it.  She is walking proof that meeting our goals, and succeeding in one's own expectations, can be a reality.     Diana is passionate about balancing life through stress, anxiety, and depression management. The focus of her work is to help clients overcome and manage the emotional stressors that keep them from achieving life-long goals and finding ultimate happiness.  In addition to working with individuals and couples, Diana specializes in working with weight loss surgery patients. As a Doctorate student, with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy at the California School of Professional Psychology in Irvine California, the focus of her research revolves around the various ways in which weight loss surgery impacts marriage and the family unit as a whole. One of her favorite life mottos is, "It's not what you're eating, it's what’s eating you!".   As a weight loss surgery patient herself, Diana is excited to bring two important perspectives of this journey to her work; a personal side, as well as a professional side. In addition to maintaining a healthy weight since having weight loss surgery in 2011, Diana is also a two-time marathon finisher.   Diana works in a private practice setting (both in-office and online) in Southern California. In addition, she is an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University School of Education and Psychology and is the resident relationship expert every Wednesday night on Dash Radio's  Lip Service Show out of Hollywood, CA. In addition to being a national conference speaker, professional panelist, and group facilitator, Diana conducts psychological interviews with prospective weight loss surgery patients for insurance approval and is a member of the Obesity Action Coalition. You can also catch Diana on two seasons of TLC’s My 600 Lb Life!  Diana is passionate about creating change in people's lives, but more importantly, she believes in the power of good mental health as the key to unlocking long-term success. Diana graduated with a Master's in Marriage, Child, and Family and is currently a third-year doctorate student at The California School of Professional Psychology in Irvine Ca.

#MyzLulu welcomes musical artist, #LoaGreyson to #EveryoneLovesLulu. Loa Greyson is a singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. Of Samoan descent, Loa set out to develop a distinctive sound, inspired by, traditional Polynesian, jazz, soul, and so many other styles. His blend of influences is so deeply rooted in his background that it could easily be described as Island Soul! What makes his work special is the fact that Loa is arguably deeply connected to his material singing songs that come straight from the heart and embracing his distinctive taste for different genres in the scope of a creative, original sound. Find out more about Loa Greyson, and do not miss out on the artist’s most recent releases, activities, and events - such as his most recent studio single “Island Beauty,” which is yet another fantastic step forward in the artist’s unique career.