Tradewinds
For decades, local musical icon Patrick Palomo has cultivated and defined what jazz music is on Guam
- Filmmaker(s)
- Mighty Island
- Category
- Short Film
- Subject Matter
- Biography, Guam, Arts & Music
Tradewinds begins as a portrait of Chamorro jazz musician Patrick Palomo but quickly blossoms into a love letter to his indigenous culture and all the ways it influences the pianist he is. Palomo finds himself mentoring the next generation of Guam’s rising musical talents, making up the rest of his band Tradewinds: vocalists Andrew Gumataotao, Shannon McManus, and guitarist and bassist Jon Glasier. With Guam’s indigenous Chamorro language edging dangerously near extinction, these musicians find themselves on the frontlines of cultural preservation, crafting incredibly soulful jazz music, frequently arranged with Chamorro lyrics.
For an island culture that is in urgent need of preservation, the acts of creation and artistry are revolutionary. The original music Tradewinds writes, records, and performs are radical acts of Chamorro expression, with emotion and intention reverberating through every note. Listening to their interpretation of Chamorro jazz music allows one to bear witness to a culture that is vibrant, that is expressive, and perhaps most importantly, that is alive and flourishing.
TRADEWINDS is a recipient of Production funding from PIC's Shorts Fund.
Mighty Island is a film collective born and raised in the island of Guam. Established in 2016, the team comprises of Kyle Perron (co- director/ editor), Nico Serneo (co-director/ cinematographer), and Nia Serneo (producer).
Nico Serneo & Kyle Perron - Directors
Born and raised on the island of Guam, Kyle Perron and Nico Serneo are filmmakers currently residing in Guam. Before starting their production company Mighty Island in Guam, both of them attended De Anza College in Cupertino, CA where they got their AA in Film Production. They then transferred to the Academy of Arts in San Francisco where they got their BA in Film Editing. Since graduating in 2013, Kyle has been a freelance editor since 2010 and worked on short films, documentaries, and music videos both in San Francisco and Guam. Nico worked as a freelance Camera Operator and Cinematographer in San Francisco and Guam. Since then they have moved back to Guam to concentrate on projects they take on with Mighty Island, which tackle a wide range of genres such as short films, documentaries, cultural films, commercials, and music videos. Kyle Perron was most recently the post-production supervisor for the independent feature film “The Last Smile”. The film made it’s festival run in 2016-2017 and is now available on Amazon Prime. Nico Serneo has worked as camera operator on music videos and short films that featured hip hop artists like E40, Baby Bash, G-Easy, and Bobby Brackens. Mighty Island’s clients include Matson, Midpac Distributors, Gatorade, United Airlines, Guam Visitors Bureau, Pow! Wow! Worldwide, Kloppenburg Enterprises, and Fish Eye.
Nia Serneo - Producer
Nia Serneo earned her BA degree in Strategic Communications from Seattle University in 2011. Since then, she has held various roles in marketing, human resources, and social services. She currently works as the Social Marketer and Communications Manager for the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness center and has received several national Excellence in Community Communication and Outreach (ECCO) awards from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for her work in mental health awareness outreach in Guam. Nia has officially been the producer for Mighty Island since the company’s inception in 2016. However, being Nico’s older sister and like Kyle’s older sister, can attest that Mighty Island is truly a family dynamic and feels as if she has been producing Mighty Island films for decades.
Social Media
Facebook: @Mighty Island
Instagram: @mighty_island
News
- World Premiere - 2023 Hawai'i International Film Festival
- Pacific Daily News: "Guam documentary on local musician Patrick Palomo selected for Hawaii International Film Festival"
