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SteveO
Aloha
7 Posts |
 Posted - 07/30/2006 : 6:00:22 PM
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This is the song that brought me to slack key. No hits after searching for this title here. I'm sure someone must be playing it, and as I am about the start learning the second half of the song...the hard half, I thought I'd see if anyone might have a pointer or noteworthy observation.
I heard this song on Black Sands by Led Kaapana, and once learned, will be my first slack key song I have memorized. This song just begs to be played and I loop the first half, repeating it endlessly, and it just becomes more enjoyable to play each day.
If anyone has any background on this song, I would enjoy hearing about it.
Mahalo
SteveO
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2006 : 05:04:04 AM
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From Dennis Kamakahi PUA'ENA GLOW BRIGHTLY liner notes at Dancing Cat:
Ninipo Ho'onipo
Also inspired by the Big Island, the lively Ninipo Ho'onipo dates back to an 1876 trip Queen Lili'uokalani took to Puna. "Leleiohoku is often credited with writing this song, sometimes Kalakaua, but the original is from Lili'uokalani. It's a little different in the melody line than other versions but the words are mostly the same." A love song, it draws from the legend of Hopoe, who was turned to stone by Pele. Dennis plays it on the 12 string in C Mauna Loa tuning.
From Led Kaapana Black Sand liner notes at Dancing Cat:
Ninipo Ho'onipo (instrumental)
Led: 6 string in G Major "Taro Patch" Tuning (D-G-D-G-B-D)
Ninipo Ho'onipo dates back to an 1876 trip then-Princess Lili'uokalani took to Puna. A love song, it draws from the legend of Hopoe, who was turned to stone by Pele. Led's arrangement sports a very traditional double-thumbing rhythm, in which the thumb plays bass notes on the first and third beats, and plays rhythm on the higher strings for the second and fourth beats. Listen also for the lovely syncopation, especially in the eighth verse. "As I was growing up, my Uncle Ka'ai used to sing it at family parties and all the Aunties would dance hula," says Led. "This is for all of them and all those happy times."
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dr. cookie
Lokahi
USA
299 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2006 : 6:59:44 PM
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Here are the lyrics and translation as published in "The Queen's Songbook":
Ninipo Ho'onipo
Lili'uokalani (1876)
Hia’ai, hia’ai i ka nani
O a’u lehua i Hôpoe lâ
Ke ona ‘ia maila e ka ‘iwi
E ka manu hulu weo ‘Ôla’a.
Hui:
Ninipo ho’onipo i ke aloha
Ka wahine ha’a le’a lewa i ke kai
Ke niniau ala i ke one (la)
I ke kai nupanupa i Hâ’ena. .
Lo’u iki Pana’ewa i ka hala
I ka lihi ka pilina o Moeawakea
Ke nihi a’ela ka ua nihi ma kai
O ka welelau noe kai o’u nei.
‘Ike maka i ka nani o Puna lâ
Nâ lae ulu hala o Ko’oko’olau
Ke ‘oni a’ela molale i ke kai
Nâ oho lau mâewa, luhe i ka wai.
I Hilo nô ka makani Pu’ulena
Lohe i ka ‘ale a ke kai holuholu o Huia
Ua ma’û akula luna o Ma’ukele
I ka pâ kalikali a ka Malanai.
Delighted, delighted with the beauty
Of my lehua blossoms of Hôpoe
That is attracting the ‘iwi bird
The scarlet-feathered bird of ‘Ola’a.
Hui:
Yearning, longing in love
The woman swaying so pleasurably in the sea
Swiftly, silently moving on the sand
In the restless sea of Hâ’ena
Pana’ewa reaches slightly for the hala
At the edge where Moeawakea is connected
The creeping rain cautiously moves seaward
Of the tip of my sea mist.
I see the beauty of Puna
Ko’oko’olau with its groves of hala
They move; shimmering reflections in the sea
Tresses reaching over, swaying in fresh water.
At Hilo is the Pu’ulena wind
Hear the waves of the surging sea of Huia
The top of Ma’ukele is dampened
In the intermittent gust of the Malanai.
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garson
Lokahi
USA
112 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2006 : 08:44:15 AM
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| I love Nipo Ho'onipo. Once I get started it is hard to stop. I am surprised more people do not play it. It is simple but very beautiful. I do not have tab, but it is slow enough on the cd that you can figure it out. The only thing that might not be clear is that the last part of the vamp is best done by barring the top 3 strings on the 7th fret for a few notes (the notes you want are all there across the neck) then slide down to the fifth fret and get some of the notes you do not have there on the seventh fret with your pinkie. Led makes only minor variations in phrasing and note selection. The miracle is that he goes on for well over 4 minutes with the same simple song and you still want more when he is done. Note that near the end he picks out a tasty note: 4th string 4th fret. When you do this stay in d7 position (first finger second string first fret, second finger 3rd string second fret) and get the 4th fret with your pinkie. Play these notes together for a very nice rich alternative to a d7 chord. Texas Jim |
Jim Garson |
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Pua Kai
Ha`aha`a
USA
1007 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2006 : 12:26:51 PM
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Jim does a wonderful rendition of it on the 2005 taropatch CD.
mahalo Jim!! |
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garson
Lokahi
USA
112 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2006 : 1:14:00 PM
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| Thanks Nancy for kind words. The one I do is actually not on the 2005 taropach CD, but on another disk I made called Slacker's Holiday. TJ |
Jim Garson |
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