Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 12, 1 December 2009 — E maliu mai ʻoe [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

E maliu mai ʻoe

By Francine Murray Broadcast/Media Coordinator

Have you ever had that feeling of instant rapport? You seem to be on the same wavelength from the moment you meet — that's Mana'o Pili, elose thoughts. It's how Kale Hannahs, a member of the multi-Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning group'Ale'a, and Matthew Sproat, Big Island Falsetto Contest winner, have felt sinee they started playing together two years ago. As Waipuna, their thoughts and musie are in eomplete aeeord, making for outstanding performanees. Singer-songwriter Diana Aki was on a plane ride home to

Hawai'i lsland trom Kaua'i, where she was on tour with the Sons of Hawai'i in the 1970s, when she eomposed the title song "Mana'o Pili." Although it was her first visit to the Garden Island, her 'ohana ties to Kaua'i's 18th eentury leader Kaumuali'i, the link between the Miloli'i of Kaua'i and her hometown on the Bia Island and her

aloha for an elderly Kōloa eouple she had befriended, warmed her soul and she missed the island. She reealled how it moved her to hear the people of Ni'ihau speak. Before they landed on Hawai'i, her mele was eomplete. "Compelled to tap sourees of poetry eomposed by kūpuna who reeognized and appreeiated the unparalleled beauty of a land. . . to give it energy," said Hannah's father, Neil Hannahs regarding the mele that Waipuna seleeted for this new alhum. Also ineluded are "Ka Ulu Niu o Waipouli" by S. Maka Herrod, "Home Kapaka" by Milla Petersen and Maddy Lam, and for the seenie Moloka'i, they take us on a ride with "Honomuni" by John Pi'ilani Watkins - uihā ! "Kiss Me Love," the elassie by Johnny Almeida, slows things down a bit, an enehanting ballad with the romantie voiees of Waipuna. "Owl's Lullaby" is dedieated to famed falsetto singer and nationally reeognized storyteller, Matt's Unele, Clyde "Kindy" Sproat who often sang this lullaby. Reeorded for the first time, the very lovely "Lehua Mamo" was eomposed by Kalikollhau, Hannah's sister in honor of her favorite flower, the yellow lehua. The musie is by her partner in the group Kūpaoa, Kellen Paik. Another original, "E Pili Kāua" by Kale Hannahs, eaptures the playfulness that a eouple has in a speeial relationship where they always want to be together but ean't. He said, "It's kind of a eall and answer. The girl says, 'Where are you? I miss you. Pay attention to me.' And the man replies, 'Don't worry, I'll eome find you.' " In the end, they always end up with eaeh other. Matthew Sproat's "Home" is about lost love. It wasn't until his love was gone that he realized he took for granted what he had. The relationship was like home for him, a foundation that he eould rely upon but now it's gone. Mana 'o Pili is in stores or online at mele.eom. See Waipuna live in Waiklkl at the oeeanfront Mai Tai Bar in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel every Sunday, 6 to 10 p.m. ■

Waipuna CD release party Sat. Dec. 12, 1-4 p.m. Hālau o Haumea, UH-Mānoa Center for Hawaiian Studies Special guests Kūpaoa & Mailani Free

mele 'aikna'1""' mKic !te,e

(HE ka wai ola | the living water of OFIA | www.oha.org/kwo

Mana'o Pili Waipuna Poki Records