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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 10/13/2010 : 4:38:57 PM
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In prep for an `ukulele workshop that we are having, I have dug up the following information on Puamana that some of you may find interesting:
The following essay was written by Kihei de Silva:
Puamana
Annie Kahalepouli Bastel Shaw and Charles Kekua Farden were married in 1897 and lived in Lahaina, Maui. In 1915, they built a home on a piece of Front Street property that was already named Puamana. They gave that name to their new house, a house that they filled, over the years, with 11 beautiful and talented children. One morning in 1935, one of those children (who was by then a Moloka‘i school teacher who had returned to Puamana for a visit) found herself sitting at the family piano and playing a tune that she had never heard before. The tune appealed to her, so she gathered her siblings together and asked for help in writing the words for a song about their home. When their father came home for lunch, they gave him their ideas, in English, and he responded in Hawaiian. That school teacher was named Irmgard (our Aunty Irmgard Farden Aluli), and her song was "Puamana."
After the death of Annie and Charles, the house was leased and eventually sold. The original house was torn down and a two-story house was built in its place. Later, that house was also removed and the current Puamana Condominium Resort was constructed. In 1980, the only reminder of the Farden home was a row of coconut trees on the ma kai side of the property. When the Farden children were young, each had to plant and care for a coconut tree. As the children grew, so did their trees. As "Puamana" tells us, the family often gathered under those trees, and on moonlit nights they would play their instruments and sing their favorite songs.
Puamana can mean "divinely powerful flowers or children," but to the Farden family, it means "the home that holds its members close." Although this home no longer exists, its memory continues to hold the Fardens close. A more recent song by Aunty Irmgard says:
Gone are our parents
Home Puamana no longer remains,
Yet in each one of us, the music soars
Touching each new child as the family grows.
Puamana, ku‘u home i Lahaina
Me nā pua ‘ala onaona,
Ku‘u home i aloha ‘ia
Ku‘u home i ka ulu o ka niu
‘O ka niu kūkilakila
Napenape mālie
Home nani, home i ka ‘ae kai
Ke kōnane a ka mahina
I ke kai hāwanawana
Ha‘ina ‘ia mai ka puana
Ku‘u home i Lahaina
I piha me ka hau‘oli.
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Notes: The text and translation given above is that shared with us by Aunty Irmgard in 1988 when our keiki danced "Puamana" and "Kananaka" in that year's Queen Lili‘uokalani Keiki Hula Competition. Early that summer, Aunty visited our keiki, approved of our choreography of "Puamana," and taught us "Kananaka." And then she and Puamana sang for us on stage when the big day finally arrived.
[Most of the information above has been excerpted from the workbook that each haumāna of HMI takes with her on her 9th grade trip to Maui. That workbook is authored by Kīhei de Silva.]
Puamana, my home in Lahaina
With flowers sweetly scented
My home full of love
My home stands in the middle of swaying palms
The palms are so majestic
Swaying gently
Beautiful home, home on the beach near the sea
Standing lovely out in the moonlight
(Shining) on the whispering sea
The story is told
Of my home in Lahaina
Full of happiness.
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The Story of Puamana in Aunty Irmgard’s own words.
My father [Charles Farden] had bought a piece of property [situated oceanfront on Front Street in Lahaina], and on the deed appeared the name “Puamana.” Dad, knowing the Hawaiian language well, said, “Well, that is a good name for our place.” He built our home, which was a large six bedroom, two bath home, and he called it “Puamana.” That name was chiseled into the stone wall leading to the house. We moved into Puamana in 1916. I was four years old. One of the things I remember so well is that my father took the nine of us children and gave each of us a sprouting coconut tree. He had some holes dug along the stone wall near the ocean. And he said, “Children, each one of you are to plant your coconut tree, and as that tree grows, so will you grow.” Well, we planted them. Later, there were two more children and the youngest two were taken by mother and dad, each given a sprouting coconut and they were planted. Now the trees are tall, bending toward the ocean, and they are still on the land of Puamana, though the home is no longer there. This home was such a happy one for me. Later, I wrote a song about it, and in it I mention the coconut trees.
It was in 1937 that I composed “Puamana.” I was home on a visit (I was teaching on Moloka’i), and suddenly—I was just sitting at the piano playing—and this tune came. I said to my sister Emma [Emma Farden Sharpe, who later became a beloved kumu hula on Maui], “Come, do a few steps of the hula to this song that I am just composing.” She asked, “What song is it?” I said, “It’s going to be for Puamana” with no hesitation, although I didn’t even know that yet—I hadn’t planned it. But it must have been the love for this place that brought this all about. I got the tune, and my sisters gathered ‘round with their instruments—we had the bass, the piano, the ‘ukulele, the guitar. And we started to hum it in harmony. Then Dad came home for lunch. I said (before he even had a chance to eat), “Dad, come sit down and help us with Hawaiian words for this song for Puamana.” As we threw him phrases, he would translate them into Hawaiian. Because we had planted those coconut trees as youngsters and watched them grow over the years, I had to include them in the second verse of the song.
Puamana has since become the “family song” for the Fardens, and although Irmgard composed more than 200 songs in her lifetime, it is “Puamana”--telling the story of her beloved childhood home in Lahaina--that is always sung and danced at every family occasion (including her funeral).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JoZbUfgUqA – Story of the Farden `ohana and their home, Puamana from 1991.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j81g9W-4P6g – Aunty Irmgard & Puamana singing Puamana with Aunty Irmgard narrating in English. Vicki Holt Takamine dancing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6tCmy2jnmE – This includes hula danced by kumu hula Emma Kapi`olani Farden Sharpe.
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
Edited by - wcerto on 10/13/2010 4:40:19 PM |
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 10/13/2010 : 7:41:05 PM
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We heard the story from Auntie Edna Bekeart, sister of Irma, that the song also tells about a handsome prince, who was wonderful to behold.
While I learned this song at Keola's workshop at Kalani Honua many years ago, it is only recently that I've begun to sing it with a whole lot of feeling and aloha. Auntie Edna, 2 years ago, taught me her "Ginger Memories" and just that one-on-one has changed my whole feeling and approach to those lovely songs.
I did hear that Auntie Edna had a bad fall and then moved from her beautiful Lahaina beachfront home to the Big Island.
Sigh...
Julie |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2010 : 06:22:46 AM
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Part of Auntie Edna's story was that the name Puamana actually was a reference to a youthful chief/prince and the word pua was used to mean young or youthful as opposed to flower or blossom, so phrase means "powerful young one".
Jesse
(sorry for the over postin') |
Edited by - hapakid on 10/14/2010 2:24:24 PM |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2010 : 08:32:58 AM
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OK, Jesse, I get the point...
(Hey, we've all had days when we hit the "send" button too many times...)
Wanda, thanks for posting this. I, too, learned the song at that first Aloha Camp--or, actually, Annie did, from Keoki, and she taught it to me.
Every time I drive into Lahaina from the airport and see those beautiful palms, I silently sing a verse of the song. Always brings a smile.
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Auntie Maria
Ha`aha`a
USA
1918 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2010 : 7:24:41 PM
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Kumu Kihei's essays on assorted mele are examples of the BEST in research about Hawaiian compositions -- and many of them are available online:
http://web.mac.com/halaumohalailima/HMI/Waihona_Mele.html |
Auntie Maria
===================
My "Aloha Kaua`i" radio show streams FREE online every Thu & Fri 7-9am (HST)
www.kkcr.org - Kaua`i Community Radio
"Like" Aloha Kauai on Facebook, for playlists and news/info about island music and musicians!
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kaneohegirl
Aloha
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2010 : 1:32:03 PM
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| Thank you Wanda for sharing this!! It makes playing and hearing the song all the more meaningful. |
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Superslide55
Aloha
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2010 : 3:21:40 PM
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I had a conversation with a Bruddah about a year ago concerning this kine topic, makes me very sad. I'm not Hawaiian but Irish-different origin, same kine story, same kine tears. Greed, no wonder the Bible refers to it as a sin, eh?
Kone |
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slackkey
Lokahi
USA
280 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2010 : 12:35:27 AM
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 Aloha everyone...Just got through playing "Puamana" in C-tuning. It was several years ago, I was able to play it at Maalaea's "Blue Marlin Restaurant and Bar". It was just after a "Slack Key Festival" here on Maui. Several of you here, were present Julie, I think you were here as well) N e ways, It was a lot of fun having all you who were present, sing along with me while I played....Or was it "Hula O Makee"....It's been a long while since then. But I'll never forget that "open-mike night"....Mahalo wcerto, for sharing the story of "Puamana"...I couldn't help it, but after reading this thread,I was inspired to uncover my "kika", play, and sing "Puamana" while thinking of that night down at the "Blue Marlin".
Bill Pellazar
Paia, Maui Hawaii |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2010 : 01:34:19 AM
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| Seeig as how I am not a musician, nor any kind of singer, I really relish uncovering the stories behind the mele. I like digging around, talking story, but most of all just listening to the power of someone's words when they put pen to paper. For every song that is written there is a reason and a story behind the song. There is a purpose the haku mele has for writing it - a feeling to convey. Let's continue to keep their mele alive by singing them. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Puamana
