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Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
 Posted - 11/13/2007 : 04:21:16 AM
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The notes at www.huapala.org say: quote:
Source: Sonny Cunha's Music Book - Copyright 1902 William Coney - First published under the title Halialaulani (Fond Recollections of the Chiefs) by Mrs. Kuakini, it is also credited to Martha K. Maui under the title of Ke Aloha Poina `Ole (Unforgettable Love), but was written by Sam Li`a Kalainaina, Sr. This information was given to Larry Kimura by Sam Li`a Kalainaina, Jr. and contributed by Keola Donaghy. This mele is about a love affair at Hi`ilawe (highest waterfall in Hawai`i) and Waio`ulu, two waterfalls in Waipi`o Valley on the Big Island. The girl, from Puna, describes herself poetically as the fragrance from Puna. Distressed by the gossip mongers, she calls them chattering birds. Mist of the mountains in the 3rd verse is the poetic way of saying this is a secret love affair. Lâlâkea and Hakalaoa are streams at the top of Waip`io Valley that flow over the cliff forming the twin waterfalls of Hi`ilawe and Hakalaoa. They merge into the Hi`ilawe stream that is one of two main waterways in Waip`io Valley. Music clip by Lani Lee
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Andy |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2007 : 04:36:19 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by wcerto
I have been re-reading Na Mele o Hawai`i Nei, collected by Samuel Elbert and Noelani Mahoe, published in 1970.
Regarding Hi`ilawe, he says, "Composed by Mrs. Kuakini, this song, formerly known as "Hali`alaulani", is most effective with slack-key accompaniment. It concerns a girl from Puna who has a love affair at Hi`ilawe waterfall in Waipi`o, Hawai`i. The chattering birds may refer to gossips. The shifting from first to third person adds to the subtlety and hence in Hawaiian eyes to the charm of the song. The girl, who is not bashful, calls herself uhiwai, hiwahiwa (or milimili), lei `a`i and `ala i hali `ia mai.".
Who was Mrs. Kuakini and why does she take credit for this mele when all other sources accredit it to Sam Li`a? What made Elbert an expert on Hawaiian language, inasmuch as he was malihini? I understand that he worked closely with Kawena Pukui and co-authored the dictionary with her. I am now wondering how accurate Na Mele of Hawai`i Nei is. If the part about Hi`ilawe is wrong, how much of the other stuff is wrong?
Who knows? This is why we always get a second, third, and fourth opinion, whenever possible.
Although written by her hanai daughter, Pi`olani Motta, the book about Auntie Lena Machado has raised several such controversies - such as who was the song written for, and why, and when.
I recently sang "Pua Lilia" in the presence of Eddie Kamae. I told the story of the song as taught to me by a figure in Hawaiian music we all admire. But after I told the story and sang the song, Uncle Eddie called me over and said, "Why do you tell those lies?" I had no idea what he was talking about. He told me that the story I told could not be farther from the truth. I explained that I got the story from an authority in Hawaiian music, and he said, "Don't believe everything you hear."
We need to bear in mind that we might not always get the true story behind the song - even from the source - because these songs can be very personal and private and telling the masses what the song is really about is a show of disrespect to those it was written for or about. So we get as much information as we can get, leave it to the singer to interpret - literally and figuratively - the song, and then the listener is going to add their own perspective, too.
As to who wrote a song, it's nice to get to the bottom of that but even that is not always 100% possible. When "Kawaipunahele" was released, I sent e-mail to Punahele Productions to politely point out that while dozens of other artists had cited Helen Lindsey Parker as the composer of "`Akaka Falls," Keali`i's CD cites that the composer is "unknown." I received an equally polite letter back asserting that there was no unequivocal "proof" that Auntie Helen wrote that song, and so... There you go.
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