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nakii
Aloha
29 Posts |
 Posted - 07/06/2011 : 3:46:05 PM
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NEED PLENTY ALOHA, MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY, REMEMBER FUN IS FUN, BUT MANY SONGS AND MANY DANCES ARE DEEPLY MEANINGFUL.ANCESTORS ,ALI'I COMPOSERS ETC DESERVE RESPECT OF THOSE WHO "USE" THEIR STORIES.KUMU HULA WHO PROGRESS THRU STAGES OF TRAINING LEARN THE CULTURE ALONG WITH THE DANCES.IT IS A WONDERFUL THING WHEN NEW HULA TEACHERS RECOGNIZE THIS AND CONTINUE THEIR OWN LEARNING.MUSICIANS WHO SEEK OUT THE MORE EXPERIENCED LEARN THE REASONS FOR THE SONGS AND LEARN TO ADJUST THEIR PERSONAL MUSICAL IDENTITIES...DO AN OLD SONG IN A NEW RESPECTFUL WAY.
HULA AND SINGING/PLAYING IS WAY MORE THAN"LOOK WHAT I CAN DO". IT'S "LOOK WHAT I UNDERSTAND" AND "THIS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO LEARN".FOR MUSICIANS...HAVE YOU THANKED COMPOSERS..FAMOUS PERFORMERS WHO PUT LIFE INTO THE SONGS THAT YOU LIKE TO PLAY?ASKED THEM FOR THEIR APPROVAL?
FOR HULA TEACHERS....DO YOU HONOR THE PERSON WHO TAUGHT YOU? RECOGNIZE THE GENERATIONS OF EARNED PEDIGREE IN THE HULA RANKS? GIVE MENTION TO THE PERFORMERS ON THE CD YOU USE AND EXPLAIN WHAT WAS IN SOMEONE'S HEART AS THEY SANG THAT SONG? EXPLAIN THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE TO THE AUDIENCE AND RESPECT THAT THERE ARE MANY SONGS THAT ARE "RESERVED" FOR PARTICULAR VENUES?
FOR ME, I HAVE APPRECIATED HERE ON THE MAINLAND THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN TRIBAL EVENTS , NOT AS ENTERTAINERS, BUT PARTICIPANTS IN LIVING CULTURES THAT ARE CELEBRATING A PARTICULAR OCCASION...CANOE LAUNCHING, JOURNEY, HEALING, ETC.
WE ARE BLESSED HERE IN WAKINEKONA(WASHINGTON) WITH MANY KUPUNA...ELDERS...WHO "LIVE ALOHA" AS MUCH AS IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO THAT IN TODAYS WORLD, AND WE APPRECIATE THE MANY OPPORTUNITIES THEY HAVE GIVEN US TO JOIN THEM IN SPECIAL CELEBRATIONS. WE HOPE THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO JOIN IN AND
KEEP HAWAIIAN CULTURE VIBRANT.MAHALO PIHA
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2011 : 10:20:00 PM
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| Music, song, and dance are communication. I have observed other cultures with songs and dances for special occasions and to honor special people. It is easy in our heavily commercialized culture to forget that we are humans and not just consumers. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2011 : 01:53:55 AM
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It is always so special to hear a haku mele talk story about the song, sharing their mana`o on how they came to write the song or sharing a special story about what it meant to them. Even more special is to see hula danced by the haku mele or by the haku mele's `ohana. That way I know the hula is telling the story as intended. This, too, is why I value the very strict traditional hula methods we are taught here in Cleveland, from Aunty Mapuana de Silva, passed down from Aunty Maiki Lake. I also value so much the discipline we have been taught by Uncle Kihei de Silva to research any song we plan to sing or dance. He is like a archeologist of song and boy how he digs! The history he shares with us is so fascinating. And indeed, we dare not dance a hula in public that has not been blessed off by our kumu hula. She tells us which ones are for public consumption and which ones are to be close hold. She has taught us respect for all things, including our hula implements. We never walk over our hula bag, rather we walk around it. We never leave the dance room wearing our pa`u -- we must remove them. We always pull them on over our head, never pull them down by our feet - that would be disrespectful. We hold our ipu upright enough when playing it, so that the mana will not spill out of the mouth of the gourd.
Mahalo, Nakii, for reminding us about respect and humility. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
Edited by - wcerto on 07/13/2011 09:40:40 AM |
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nakii
Aloha
29 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2011 : 05:50:48 AM
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| MAHALO FOR YOUR KIND THOUGHTS AND WORDS |
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RESPONSIBILITIES PERFORMING HAWAIIAN MUSIC
