Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 2, 1 February 2021 — Waipunalei Ke Aloha [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Waipunalei Ke Aloha

Na Kainaniokalihiwai Kahaunaele Eo'u mau kini makamaka mai ka lā hiki i Kumukahi a'i kona welo 'ana i ke kai kā'ili lā o Lehua, waipunalei ke aloha! I kēlā Nowemapa aku nei i ho'olaulaha 'ia ai ka'u pā sēdē hou 'o Waipunalei. He 10 mau mele i pili i nā wahi pana ma Hawai'i nei a ma waho. He 20 a 'oi hoa ho'okani i komo pū i loko o kēia hana ko'iko'i me a'u a pa'a maila he pū'ulu mele Hawai'i maoli nō i mea e ho'ohiala'ai 'ia ai ka lehulehu. 'O kekahi mea e 'oko'a ai paha 'o Waipunalei , 'o ia ho'i ke komo 'ana mai o ka puolo no waho, 'o ia ho'i ka holu, he jazz ho'i, a me ke konikonilua, he RnB ho'i. 'A'ole nōhe mea hou ke komo 'ana o ka puolo no waho i loko o nā mele Hawai'i. He ho'omau nō ho'i kēia mai ka wā kahiko i lohe ai nā kānaka i puolo hou i pā ai ko lākou na'au i ake ai ho'i 'o loko e lohe hou, ho'opili, a ho'opuka hou aku. No ia mea he holu, ku'i maila ka lono a laha ma Hawai'i nei. 'O Richard Kauhi kekahi mea nāna i ho'okani holu i ke mele 'o Lei Ka 'ahumanu me Kona Kai 'Ōpua. Nahenahe wale kona hīmeni i ke mele ku'una me ka mikioi o kona lima ma ka piano. Pēia pū ko'u mana'o ke ho'olohe aku i ka hīmeni holu 'ana mai o Cindy Combs iā Maile

Swing me ka 'āwili 'ana i ke kī hō'alu me ka holu. 'O Kaulana Versae ka'u mele no ka 'āina e kū kilakila maila 'o 'Aifela i kapakapa 'ia ai kona inoa 'o "Kauleopalisa" e a'u nei. Haku 'ia maila ia mele me ka mana'o e kūkulu 'ia ka puolo holu i loko ona.'o ia ho'i ka puolo kaulana o Palisa. 'Oli'oli 'o loko i ka 'ae 'ana mai o nā loea holu o Hawai'i e ho'okani mai i ka'u mele. Ua pili nō ia mele a launa maika'i nō me ka holu, a hīmeni akula au a kohu ma nā 'ao'ao 'elua. No ia mea 'o ke konikonilua, kāka'ikahi kona loa'a i loko o nā mele Hawai'i. Ua haku au iā He Lei Aloha No Mī Nei me ka mana'o he mele konikonilua nō ia. Hiki ke 'ike 'ia ka launa maika'i o ka pō'aiapili o ka 'ao'ao mele me ka 'ao'ao konikonilua. Ua hīmeni au e like me ka mau a pohā akula he mau hi'ohi'ona leo konikonilua, 'a'ole na'e nui. 'O ka mea nui, launa maika'i nā pō'aiapili a hīmeni 'ia me ka puana ma'ema'e. 'O wau nō ka luaahi o ka'u mele. E nanea mai! ■ He haku mele, he kumu 'ōlelo Hawai'i, a he makuahine 'o Kainani Kahaunaele. No Anahola, Kaua 'i mai 'o ia a noho 'o ia i Hilo, Hawa 'i me kāna 'ohana.

By Kainaniokalihiwai Kahaunaele Sincerest greetings to all in the Hawaiian universe ! Last November, my new CD Waipunalei was released consisting of 10 songs based on my travels to many special places in Hawai'i and abroad. This project included over 20 of Hawai'i's hnest musicians who worked with me on this legacy project producing a collection of authentically Hawaiian compositions for all to enjoy. One of the unique things of Waipunalei is that I chose to pair a few songs with other genres of music, specihcally jazz and RnB. Incorporating other music genres into Hawaiian music is nothing new. It is the eonhnuum that began when Hawaiians hrst heard music from new lands that struck their hearts, delighted their ears, and inspired them to produce it themselves. Hawaiians loved jazz and quickly incorporated it into Hawaiian music. Richard Kauhi was one of the notable Hawaiian artists to present traditional mele such as Lei Ka 'ahumanu and Kona Kai 'Ōpua in the jazz style with his dynamic voice and deft piano playing. I also admire Cindy Combs' jazz vocal styling on Maile Swing fusing Hawaiian slack key and jazz in a fabulous arrangement.

I wrote Kaulana Versae as an ode to the prominence of the Eiffel Tower of whieh I nicknamed "Kauleopalisa." I designed the mele as a jazz song since Paris is renowned for jazz. I was thrilled that Hawai'i's hnest jazz artists would hnd my mele worthy to record with me. It was imperative that the mele be well written in Hawaiian and authentically jazz, honoring both sides. As for RnB, there are hardly any Hawaiian mele of today that are composed and fashioned specihcally for the RnB experience. I composed He Lei Aloha No Mī Nei with the intention that it would be an RnB song. We ean hear the complementary nature of both the Hawaiian and RnB side because of its context, imagery, and groove. I delivered it in my signature Hawaiian style and learned to add some RnB havor. Another compelling factor in pulling this whole thing off was the phrasing. It matters in Hawaiian, jazz, and RnB. I remain accountable for all my songs. Enjoy ! ■ Kainani Kahaunaele is a composer, Hawai 'i language teacher, anā mother. She is from Anahola, Kaua'i, and lives in Hilo, Hawai'i, with herfamily. Waipunalei ean befound online at mele.com, on all digital music platforms, at The Kealopiko Shop in Honolulu, and at Basically Books in Hilo. FolIow Kainani on IG @kainanimusic, FB kainanimusic, and www.kainanikahaunaele.com.

WAIPUNALEI