Lyrical Inspirations

Music is such an important part of the Hawaiian culture as it is in so many other cultures as well. We learn a lot through musical lyrics such as geneaology, myths/legends, hardships, triumphs, celebrations, and much more. In the Hawaiian culture, music is filled with kaona. Kaona is the hidden meaning which artists use to add power to the song. It is used in chant, poetry and song and is usually infused with romantic innuenedos.

I love Hawaiian music and though I can't picture all of the many artists whose music has inspired me to dance and learn the language, I have pictured four artists above who I absolutely love dancing hula to. Kenneth Makuakane is a friend who has played many times for me as part of Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka. He is an awesome songwriter, musician and producer and a complete blast to work with! Napua Greig...not much more I can say about this awesome Na Hoku Hanohano award winner! I love her to death and owe much of this blog in it's entirety to her...she is my inspiration! Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is truly the gentle giant that has carved a path for Hawaiian music into the modern world of today. His voice is so serene and powerful that it is my honor to be able to dance to his smooth words. Keali'i Reichel is another artist with a powerful voice, intense lyrical ability and an unending knowledge of this beautiful culture. He is awesome to dance for and I am so happy that I have been able to dance to the sound of his voice live on numerous occasions with my halau back home on Maui.

There are so many artists out there who are showcasing their abilities and love for our language. Thank you! Your truly are pioneers and the Hawaiian culture lives on because of you! Mahalo!

Happy Boys Day!

Today is boys day and if I had a son, I would definitely be flying a kaibonori outside of our house for him! The kaibonori represents masculinity and are famous for being a strong fish that can even swim up waterfalls! They also live very long lives.

Ever since I was little I remember seeing these fish flying in front of peoples homes and thinking that it was so neat and nice to see the men in our lives being celebrated. Even to this day, I can drive around our neighborhoods and see the kaibonori floating through the sky. Each fish represents a male in that family. Usually the biggest fish represents the oldest male and the smallest fish the youngest.

It's great to live in a state that gladly displays cultural pride of all races! Happy Boys Day to all the great men in my life!

Lei Day

May 1st is Lei Day here in Hawaii. I can vividly remember these days in elementary school and all of the preparation that led up to it. I loved May Day! It was a fun day of Hawaiian culture and a celebration shared with family and friends. We would practice Hawaiian songs and hula in our classes and perform for our parents and members of the community what we had learned on May Day. It was awesome to see the crowds of people who showed up to watch the keiki perform.

I can remember loving the fact that we got out of classes to do these practices as well as the big performance, but I also remember loving to see all of the keiki, no matter what race or ethnicity, come together and celebrate the place which we live. It was an amazing experience for me personally and it is one of the many reasons why I feel that I am so lucky to have grown up in Hawaii!

I can't wait until I can attend Ilihia's May Day performances!

What are some of your May Day memories?