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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 04/26/2010 : 05:18:27 AM
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We were taught this mele at our hula workshop in January, but after the workshop, our halau has not yet worked on perfecting the dance.
I was revisiting the words and trying to learn the song so I can play it at home. The version used in our workshop was sung by Na Palapalai via recording. http://www.mele.com/hawaiianMP3s/2867_04.mp3
The mo`olelo we got from Kihei de Silva about this mele is that it was composed as a chant by Emalia, a dancer in Kalakaua's court. She is the "sweet Emalia" spoken of in the mele "Hilo One". She was faily famous for the time and was considered a great Hawaiian beauty of the time and was quite sought after by men. She eventually ended up in California and then back to Hawai`i but died in an insane asylum on O`ahu. We were also told that she was in a very famous picture of two hula dancers and Emalia in the middle holding a guitar. (I will research to see if I can find and post the picture, to give a face to the name). The words are not on huapala.org, neither as a mele nor as a chant. Bill Ali`iloa Lincoln set the chant to music, and beautiful it is. He shortened it from 9 to 6 verses. Manu Boyd/Ho`okena recorded it with the shorter version originally and then did a performance at the Hawai`i Theater with all the verses.
I went to mele.com and got the listing of various recordings on which this mele is performed http://www.mele.com/search.html?searchADV=moku+o+keawe&submitAdvanced.x=25&submitAdvanced.y=15&searchAction=tracks&searchPages=10&referer=106275771d22c9937427af6fcd9dd63e
We were taught the beginning of the mele to be "He Aloha moku o Keawe" but other records for the same mele, notably Aunty Genoa, and Leina`ala Haili sound to me like they are saying "E `oe" instead of "He Aloha".
Does anyone have any wisdom to share on this topic. Mahalo in advance for your kokua and mana`o.
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1583 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2010 : 05:37:46 AM
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Eh, Wanda, let's look again at huapala.
Remember what we said about using the Google "site" limiter?
Try this in Google, be sure to type it exactly:
site:huapala.org "moku o keawe"
The first item returned in my search is:
http://www.huapala.org/He_Aloha_Moku_O_Keawe.html
Using the "site" limiter to search huapala is a neat way to find songs about a topic, or songs that might be filed under names different from the one we know.
Fran |
E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi
Slack Key on YouTube
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2010 : 06:25:33 AM
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Thanks, Fran. You are right - I forgot about that neat little trick. Wow - it is swell to see all 9 verses. The Ha'ina is different, too, from how we were taught - translation by Kihei de Silva:
He aloha moku o Keawe
`Aina i ka nani me ka maluhia.
Trans. Love goes out to the land of Keaw
Land of beauty and serenity
Ho`okuku wau me Kaleponi
Hawai`i no ka `oi no na `ailana
I compare you to California
Hawai`i by far is the best of lands
`Ike i ka hau ho`okuakea `ili
Ho`opumehana i ke ahi kapuahi
See the snow that whitens the skin
Skin warmed at the fireplace
`Aina kamaha`o i ka`u ike
Ua uhi pa`a `ia e ka ua noe
This to me is an astonishing land
Completely enveloped in fog
Ka`iniki a ke anu e he ipo ala
E kono mai ana ia`u e huli ho`i mai
The biting of the cold is like a lover
Inviting me, "Turn and come back."
Ha`ina `ia mai ana ka puana
`Aina i ka nani me ka maluhia
This ends my song
Land of beauty and serenity
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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salmonella
Lokahi
240 Posts |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2010 : 08:52:14 AM
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| Yep, that's the picture. Isn't it cool to know who it is and some of her story. I know there is more that can be found in the on-line Hawaiian language newspapers, but, alas, I am not so good with the language. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Auntie Maria
Ha`aha`a
USA
1918 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2010 : 08:52:06 AM
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Cleaning up my computer files, and found this URL -- which I had labeled for my own reference as "Kihei DaSilva's mana`o" (a raging understatement, BTW!):
http://web.mac.com/halaumohalailima/HMI/Waihona_Mele.html
And found that he included a nice, long page about "Moku O Keawe", with lyrics and translation slightly different than those posted at huapala.org:
E ō ē Moku o Keawe
‘Āina i ka nani me ka maluhia.
Answer my call, Island of Keawe
Land of beauty and serenity
Ho‘okūkū wau me Kaleponi
Hawai‘i nō ka ‘oi no nā ‘ailana.
I compare you to California
Hawai‘i is, by far, the best of lands
‘Ike i ka hau ho‘okuakea ‘ili
Ho‘opumehana i ke ahi kapuahi.
See the snow that whitens the skin
Skin warmed at the fireplace
‘Āina kamaha‘o i ka‘u ‘ike
Ua uhi pa‘a ‘ia e ka ua noe.
This, to me, is an astonishing land
Completely enveloped in fog
Ka ‘iniki a ke anu me he ipo ala
E kono mai ana ia‘u e huli ho‘i mai.
The biting of the cold is like a lover
Inviting me, "Turn and come back"
Ha'ina ‘ia mai ana ka puana
'Āina i ka nani me ka maluhia
This ends my song
Land of beauty and serenity
http://web.mac.com/halaumohalailima/HMI/He_Aloha_Moku_o_Keawe.html |
Auntie Maria
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My "Aloha Kaua`i" radio show streams FREE online every Thu & Fri 7-9am (HST)
www.kkcr.org - Kaua`i Community Radio
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2010 : 11:13:00 AM
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Thanks, Auntie Maria. I must admit, it never crossed my mind to go check out the essays on Halau Mohala `Ilima's web site. Reason being: the version I typed for you, above, is the one presented to us this year at our hula workshop by Mapuana and Kihei de Silva. Now I am even more perplexed, but I can understand the resons for the two versions now that I have read his wonderful treatise. You see the kinds of talk story we get when they tag-team teach a hula workshop. There is great emphasis on not only understanding the mele, but correct, precise pronunciation of the words, breathing at the proper place, etc.
Mahalo piha, Auntie Maria for your research! Isn't this music grand? I mean Hawaiian music in general. Every mele is a history lesson, in the most poetic way. To quote my youngest daughter when we took them to Epcot when she was 11 -- she had just come out of the displays in the "golf ball" and turned to us and said, "Oh, I get it. This is supposed to be EDUCATIONAL." hA-HA. Education while having fun is indeed swell. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2010 : 4:37:20 PM
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I am constantly amazed at the beauty and depth of Hawaiian words, even in translation to English. The stories behind the poetry fascinate me. The layers of meanings,some personal, some social,and often held together and delivered by no more than the clicking of stones or sticks. But misinterpret or misunderstand a few words and the meaning can be drastically altered.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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The Mele "Moku o Keawe"
