Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 4, 1 April 2000 — Mary Kawena Pūkuʻiʻs "No Nā Kamaliʻi " perfect for kids, adults [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mary Kawena Pūkuʻiʻs "No Nā Kamaliʻi " perfect for kids, adults

By Manu Boyd ARGUABLY ONE of the most valuable projects to date from the Native Hawaiian Culmre and Arts program is "No Nā Kamali'i" a collection of dozens of children's game chants explained and performed by Hawaiian culture expert Mary Kawena Pūku'i. Recorded in 1969 at her Mānoa home, "La'i Aloha," by son-in-law George Bacon, "No Nā Kamali'i' is the fruit of keen foresight and digital technology, as recorded by Jon de Mello of The Mountain Apple Company. Not only is the project a gem for its content, Mrs. Pūku'i's delivery is exquisite. With the groundswell of interest in learning Hawaiian, "No Nā KamaliT is appropriate for not only kamali'i (ehildren), but for mākua and kūpuna as well. Born in 1895 at Nā'ālehu, Ka'ū. Pūku'i was raised by her maternal grandmother, Nāli'ipō'aimoku. Her recol-

lection of growing up, how she played as a child, what the elders had to say and how they poked fun at one another is delightful. Pūku'i's demeanor is

gentle, and her voice is thoughtful and insightfu like that of a quiet master. Along with the Elbert-Pūku'i Hawaiian Dictionary and dozens of other publications and papers, this recordingj should be in the eolleeūon of anyone who is j interested in the depth of the Native Hawaiian 1 r»iilfnr*a I

"No Nā KamaliT literally touches three cenmries, revealing traditional values of 19th century Hawai'i, the changes and influences of the 20th, and, the hunger and , zest for Hawaiian heritage as we embark on

the 21st. Pūku'i's daughter, Pat Nāmaka Bacon, remembers a favorite ditty that borrows words from English. "Kawena used to like the one that says 'moke moke ala pia'

Although it's not really Hawaiian, it's saying 'monkey, monkey, bottle of beer,' mimicking English in a way the Hawaiians heard it. That's how

fcthey used to make sense of Eng■lish words," she said. Bacon, ■who co-produced the CD along fwith de Mello, is a researcher in lBishop Museum's archives. ' "'U'ina ka pola o ka malo, welo

WĒkihei i ke A 'eloa." (The flap of the ■malo snaps, the shoulder covering Wstreams in the A'eloa breeze). This aline, explains Pūku'i, is eommon in lchants, and expresses swiftness, as a lrunner bearing an important mes-

sage. Let's get a running start on delving into the fascinating lore of Mary Kawena Pūku'i. Kahi, lua kolu — holo! ■

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