CHOOSE YOUR PATHWAY

Santiago is a profound philosopher, a musician, and a master artisan who walked away from the brink of rock-and-roll fame in 2001 because the intense pressure of a music industry run by "empires" was too much for a 25-year-old. Seeking peace, he retreated from society, living at times in a van with his family and later in a mosquito-filled shack in Kauai. Over the last 25 years, Santiago has quietly dedicated himself to mastering the painstaking art of traditional Hawaiian shell jewelry. He works with rare Kahelelani shells, which translate to the "pathway to heaven" and were historically reserved only for Hawaiian royalty.

Despite creating intricate nine-strand necklaces that take four to five months to assemble and are valued at thousands of dollars, Santiago currently works as a dishwasher just to try and fix his car. He remains locked out of high-end galleries because he lacks the required "presentation"—a nice shirt, a pedicure, and nice sandals—demanded by traditional gatekeepers. Through MEN HEAL’s core pillar of Monetizing, we are stepping in to help Santiago bypass these systemic barriers. We are currently working to document his artistry, build his direct-to-consumer social media presence, and get him into a professional recording studio in Kihei so he can finally share his poetic music and profound craftsmanship with the world on his own terms.