KAIONA
He aloha ʻia nō ʻo Kaiona
ʻĀina kapa kai e waiho nei i Waimānalo
Kahi a ka lehulehu e nanea ai ʻIke ʻia Mānana i ka ʻehu kai
Oni ana Kāohikaipu ma hope ala e pili ai
Hoʻi pono i ke kumupali o ke KoʻolauHoʻolaʻi nā ʻiwa[1] lā i luna
I ka pā ʻana mai a ka Moaʻe i ke kula
Me ka Ua Nāulu e huʻi pono aiPuana ke aloha no Kaiona
ʻĀina kapa kai e waiho nei i Waimānalo
Kahi a ka lehulehu e nanea aiKaiona is a beach park located in Waimānalo on the windward side of Oʻahu. Famed for the glass-like water of beautiful turqoise, Kaiona is a place of relaxation for both kamaʻāina and malihini alike. Captured within this mele pana are traditional place names such as Mānana and Kāohikaipu, the two islands seen from shore, as well as the wind and rain names of the area, the Moaʻe and Nāulu respectively.[1] He akua ʻo Kaiona no ka ʻaoʻao Waiʻanae o Oʻahu nei. ʻO Kaʻala kahi e noho ai ʻo ia. Kaulana ʻo ia i kona lokomaikaʻi ma ka hoʻouna ʻana he ʻiwa e alakaʻi ai i nā kānaka i lilo i loko o ka nahele. ʻIke ʻia nō hoʻi nā ʻiwa e kīkaha ana ma Kaiona, Waimānalo a no ia kumu nō paha i kapa ʻia ai ia ʻāina ma kona inoa. PUʻU NUI
Eia aʻe nō i ke alo nei ē
He puʻu nui[1] i luna lilo ē
Ālai i ke ala o ka holo ē
Auē
Mai hopo iki ē
Hoʻāʻo mau, hoʻāʻo ē[2]
Piʻi aku nō me ka wiwo ʻole ē a kō
Mau a mau
“Puʻu Nui” references two well-known ʻōlelo noʻeau that both use a puʻu, or hill, as a metaphor for an obstacle in life. This simple mele reminds the listener that no obstacle is unpassable when sufficient effort is put forth. The song form is taken from the famous jazz standard “On the Sunny Side of the Street” which provides a similar sentiment:
Leave your worries on the doorstep
Just direct your feet
On the sunny side of the street[1] Mary Kawena Pukui, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings, (Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press, 1983), 9:54.
[2] Ibid., 25:209.
LEI ONAONA
Kau mai ka haliʻa i ke ano ahiahi
Nou ē, kuʻu lei onaona
Kui a lawa na ka ipo aloha
He ʻala kūpaoa i ka ihu
ʻAuhea ke ʻala e nipo mau ai
Kō aloha nō kaʻu e ʻupu aʻe nei
E ō mai, ke aloha, kuʻu lei onaona
Nou ē kuʻu mele nei
“Lei Onaona” served as the catalyst for Pewa and the idea of innovation in mele Hawaiʻi. This mele aloha uses traditional songwriting processes to personify a lover as a fragrant lei. “Lei Onaona” was featured on the soundtrack of the film My Partner by Keliʻi Grace in 2022. KUALOA
Kiʻekiʻe Kualoa i ka hanohano
Halehale Kānehoalani i ka ʻiu
Kū mai Palikū[1] kau kehakeha
Heahea ana i nā kupa ʻāina
Nani ka ʻikena i Kalaeʻōʻio
ʻO ka heʻe nalu kahi hana leʻaleʻa
ʻAle ana i ka pā a ka Holopali
Ka makani halihali ua Nāulu
Luakaha ka nohona i ʻĀpua
Me ka pua iʻa aʻo Koholālele
Lele aku ka manaʻo i Mokoliʻi
Hoʻi ana ke aloha i ka ʻāina
Haʻina ka puana no ka hiehie
Kiʻekiʻe Kualoa i ka hanohano
Halehale Kānehoalani i ka ʻiu
ʻIuʻiu mau ia ʻāina alohaIn ancient times, Kualoa was known as the seat of power on Oʻahu. Documented in the writings of Kamakau, famous wars were fought over possession of this sacred land. This mele pana captures specific place names of Kualoa such as the precipice of Kānehoalani, the surf break of Kalaeʻōʻio, the land containing the ponds of ʻĀpua and Koholālele, and many more. [1] ʻO “Palikū” ka inoa kahiko o Kualoa. AKĀKA HALEAKALĀ
Eia lā he lā[1] no ka moku ē
Kau mai a popohe nā peʻa ē
Ahe makani no Honolua[2] ē
E holo ai i kai o Hananui[3] ē
Huna ē, huna lā
Kainō ua nalo ē
Akāka wale ʻoe, e Haleakalā[4]
Kaihuakalā, ua ahuwale mai
Mālia Hāna i ka laʻi kāhela[5]
Ahāhā, ehehene, ahāhā
Eia lā he hoe[6] no ka waʻa ē
Komo a kāmau i kai ē
Lālau aku nō ka lima ē
A hoʻi pono mai i Kula ē[7]
“Akāka Haleakalā” is a mele hakukole, or ridicule song. Traditionally, mele hakukole were written with a specific person in mind. This mele differs in the sense that it is not directed at a specific person, but a specific kind of person. Metaphorical language is used in “Akāka Haleakalā” to warn that what someone portrays on the surface may be opposite of their true nature. [1] Hoʻohana ʻia ka lā ma ka paukū mua i hōʻailona no ka mea e ʻike ʻia ma ke alo. Kainō, ʻo ka lā ka mea e holo ai ka waʻa. Eia kā, ʻo ke ahe makani nō ka mea e popohe pono ai nā peʻa a holo ai hoʻi ka waʻa.
[2] He pā’ani ma ka hua ʻōlelo ʻo “lua” e kuhi ai i ke ʻano alo lua o ke kanaka.
[3] He pāʻani ma nā hua ʻōlelo ʻo “hana nui” e hōʻike ai i ka nui hana e pono ai ka hoʻomeamea ʻana e ʻike ʻia ai ke kanaka e like me kona makemake.
[4] Mary Kawena Pukui, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings, (Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press, 1983), 13:96.
[5]Ibid., 231:2124.
[6]Hoʻohana ʻia ka hoe ma ka paukū ʻelua i hōʻailona no ka mea e ʻike ʻia ma ke alo. Kainō, ʻo ka hoe ka mea e holo ai ka waʻa. Eia kā, na ke kanaka nō e lālau aku i ka hoe a holo ai hoʻi ka waʻa.
[7] Ibid., 39:315, 254:2339, 270:2473.
MŌKAPU
Mōkapu, ʻāina kamahaʻo
ʻO ka moku ʻau aku i ke kai
ʻAilana ka haliʻa i kou nani
I ke one laʻa aʻo ia kahaKīkaha ka ʻiwa lā i luna
ʻO luna aʻo Puʻuhawaiʻiloa
I ʻō aku lā i ka laʻi
Aʻi Ulupaʻu kiʻekiʻe akuKūʻau, lae pōhaku
Kū ana i ka ʻili o ke kai
I hoa nō paha no Kekepa
Pāpapa ia moku nei a puniPuana aʻi lohe ʻia
Ia ʻāina kamahaʻo i ka laʻi
Laʻi wale ka nohona i laila
Laʻahia Mōkapu a mau loaMōkapu, short for Moku Kapu, is a peninsula seaward of Kāneʻohe that is storied as a sacred land for aliʻi. This mele pana captures many place names that have nearly vanished from the consciousness of modern-day Hawaiians such as Puʻuhawaiʻiloa, Ulupaʻu, Kekepa, and Kūʻau. Visit @pewamusic on Instagram for a detailed look at the locations of these places. KAHIEHIELAUNAʻOLE
ʻAuhea ʻoe, lei onaona
Lei hoʻoheno e liʻa ai ka manaʻo
Me ke ʻala pīkake
ʻAla anuhea o ka pili aumoeNani mae ʻole e kaulana nei
Mōhala aʻe ana a he ʻala e nipo ai
Eia mau i kuʻu poli kahi e pili ai
Me ka haliʻa, ka ʻanoʻi, he alohaEia mai kō lei aloha
I wehi nou, e kuʻu hanohano
Kahiehielaunaʻole
Nou a mau nei inoa ē“Kahiehielaunaʻole” is a mele inoa, or name song, written for Lindsey Kahiehielaunaʻole Miwa Lum. The mele weaves sentiments previously used in other mele into a cohesive lei of lyric and song. NENEʻE MAI
ʻElua nō kāua
I ke kulu aumoe
I kolu i ke aka
O ka pō māhinaPā ka makani ahe
E halihali ana
I ke ʻala
O ka ʻanoʻi puaHui:
Neneʻe mai ʻoe
Neneʻe mai ʻoe a pili kāua lā ē
I ke alohaE hoʻolono ana
I ke kani leo hone
O kou leo nahenahe
I liʻa ka manaʻoHe nani hoʻi kau
I kuʻu ʻike ʻana
Pali ē ke kua
Māhina ē ke alo [1]“Neneʻe Mai” is an attempt to compose a mele that is driven by rhythm yet still uses traditional songwriting practices that ground the mele in what came before. This mele is loosely based on the structure of “Pō Laʻilaʻi” by Mary Kawena Pukui and Maddy Lam that details a moonlit stroll. “Neneʻe Mai” details the experiences sensed while engaging in love making. [1] Mary Kawena Pukui, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings, (Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press, 1983), 285:2595.