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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
 Posted - 08/29/2007 : 06:29:29 AM
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I’m trying to pick through an old Sol Ho`opi`i recording of “Hanohano Hawai`i,” recorded in 1928, and wondering if anyone can give me a hand with the words.
This is not the same “Hanohano Hawai`i” that I’m more familiar with, recorded by Martin Pahinui and others, sometimes also called “Sweet Lei Lehua” (the words to that one are at huapala.org).
You can hear a snippet of Sol’s version as background music in an old movie (and get a load of the “hula” in the scene).
I’m trying to find all the words to this song and wondering if anyone knows them. I can’t find them at the usual sources. Sol only sings two verses and a ha`ina, but the structure of the song leads me to suppose there are two more verses. It’s one of those like “Lei `Ohu” or like the other “Hanohano Hawai`i,” with one verse devoted to each of four islands, followed by a ha`ina.
Sol’s first two verses are as follows, as well as I can make out:
Hanohano Hawai`i lä
Lei ka lehua lä
Kuahiwi nani lä
`O Mauna Kea
Kilakila `o Maui lä
Lei roselani lä
Kuahiwi nani lä
Haleakalä
I can’t understand the ha`ina as well, except to note that it includes the phrase “nä moku `ehä,” so I guess that two more islands have gone missing. You could pretty well imagine two more verses with a “`Ohu`ohu O`ahu” and a “Kaulana Kaua`i” and plug in the appropriate leis and mountains, but I don’t really want to be making this up myself.
Does anyone here in the patch have a source for the real words to this song?
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Sarah
`Olu`olu
571 Posts |
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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 11:43:13 AM
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Sarah, this is definitely it. Sol is not using the last six islands, but his ha`ina is as in the final verse of this reference, "Nä moku `ehä o ka Päkipika.”
It’s an old and scratchy recording and I thought the last phrase was “ka hikina,” which made no sense in the context.
So, let’s see—this rendition has verses for eight islands, one ha`ina for four islands and another for eight, and then a title for four. Clearly this is a song (and a type of mele) with more than one version that may have been modified along the way.
Thanks for finding this reference, Sarah. Now if I can just figure out those darned chords . . .
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 4:10:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by mike2jb
Clearly this is a song (and a type of mele) with more than one version that may have been modified along the way.
Oddly, I was able to find three different melodies and chord structures for "Na Moku `Eha." I threw together a montage of eight different versions in order to compare/contrast these different melodies and chords. Go to www.hoolohehou.com and scroll to the bottom. (I backdated this blog entry so that the playlists for my radio show would still sort to the top of the blog. So the entry for "Na Moku `Eha" sorts to the bottom.)
quote:
Thanks for finding this reference, Sarah. Now if I can just figure out those darned chords . . .
Sol Ho`opi`i is playing it in the key of "C" in the YouTube clip. So...
C - E7 - Am - E7 - A7 - D7 - G7 - C
Let me know if you want them in a different key... I hope this helps.
Enjoy!
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Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 7:12:10 PM
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".........................."
The above is me, speechless. Thanks, Bill for the scholarly answer to my questions, and for the compilation of eight versions of this mele.
I must have spent two hours in front of speakers trying to tease out the proper chords for this song. I think I finally had them all except that A7--my "mystery chord" that you clarified for me.
Bill and Sarah, I remain astounded and thankful at the depth of knowledge available from members of this forum. |
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