[conch shell blows] Ka‘upena Wong Mele Hawai‘i is about the music of Hawai‘i and its reflection on the island's culture and its people.

It goes way back in time to chants.

Hawai‘i's unwritten poetry.

[conch shell continues] [Ka‘upena Wong chanting in Hawaiian] Ka‘upena Wong After contact with the West, and especially during the middle years of the 19th century, the chants of ancient Hawai‘i, termed oli and mele hula, were on the verge of extinction.

But in remote areas of these islands, this unwritten poetry managed to stay alive, indeed flourish, and it is today still a part of our island heritage, thanks to the past efforts and determination of chanters, hula masters, and the patronage of Hawai‘i's last ruling dynasty, the Kalākauas.

[Henry Pa speaking in Hawaiian] Ae, he nani Hā’upu i ke ahe a ka makani Ka‘upena Wong Like his teachers, who in secret, kept the chanting and hula rituals alive, the talented hula choreographer Henry Pa uses the ipu, a hollowed out guard drum, as a dance partner, if you will, as he chants and dances about our island landscape.

[Henry Pa chanting in Hawaiian] He nani Hā’upu i ke ahe a ka makani Ke hi’i ‘ia maila nō ka wai e Kemamo Ke nānā iho ‘oe i lalo o Hulē’ia Me he moe pāwehe lā ‘o Mokulē’ia He nani nō mai Līhu’e a Waialua ‘A’ohe wahi ua Nāulu i ke kula Ua pili pono ihola ia i Kamananui Ke ho’onui maila Pua’ena a i luna Ua kani hone akula i ke kula a’o Nōhili A me he lei hulu mamo ala ka uka o Halemano ‘Ae, ua ‘ike mau, a ua noa Ka‘upena Wong The mele hula are dance chants.

But the oli, are chants reserved for rituals, prayers, and genealogy or to convey intimate expressions of love.

One of the few living exponents of this style of chanting, a person who is committed to sharing her knowledge with the young people who seek an identification with their Hawaiian poetical heritage is a respected chanter Lokalia Montgomery, who recites "Hō‘ae‘ae", an oli about love.

[Lokalia Montgomery chanting in Hawaiian] Lokalia Montgomery I was interested in culture and the Hawaiian dance because of the chanting; the rhythm, the timing, that meant so much to me.

And when I studied under so many instructors, and of course, Mrs. Kuku‘i was one of them, and I enjoyed working with her, because I found that many of the teachers had to have did not have knowledge of explaining the hulas of the chant.

All they did was to teach it.

And so with Mrs. Kuku‘i, who gave me the inside of the chanting and the hula, I appreciated the hula very much in that sense and its chanting.

And, of course, it's something that is, it takes a long, long time.

It took years before I began to understand.

And chanting is, yes, this is your sound box.

For instance, you say, I'll give you an example [vibrato sounds].

It's in here and nasal so I am and my feeling when I'm chanting, when I'm inspired, I give you, I want to give you an example.

When I chanted for first, the first time for Iolani Leuven, it was 1940 in Washington, D.C., when I chanted for I felt as if I was lifted off the floor.

And that was that feeling I had in me because you have to be sincere and love for the culture you know for what you're doing.

Ka‘upena Wong Hawaiian people believe that the spirit of Laka, goddess of dance, flows through the motions and haunting, mystical voice of Hawai‘i's supreme dancer, ‘Iolani Luahine, who uses the kala‘au hula sticks as she chants the praises of the famed district of Kona, Hawai‘i.

[‘Iolani Luahine chanting in Hawaiian] Ae Kona kai ‘ōpua i ka la‘i Kona kai ‘ōpua i ka la‘i ‘O pua hinano i ka mālie Holo na wai a ke kehau Ke na‘u wai la nā kamali‘i Kāohi ana i ke kukuna lā Ku‘u la kolili i ka‘ili kai Pumehana wale ho‘i ia ‘āina Aloha no kini a‘o Ho‘olulu Pumehana wale ho‘i ia ‘āina Aloha no kini a‘o Ho‘olulu Ha‘ina ka inoa o ku‘u lani No Liholiho no la inoa He Inoa No Liholiho Ka‘upena Wong Simple musical instruments are used to add rhythmic color to the chant.

A few of these are the ‘ili‘ili, smooth water worn pebbles gathered from our beaches and streams; the pū’ili, sections of bamboo split along the sides; the ‘uli‘uli, a colorful feathered gourd rattle, the inside of which is filled with seeds.

These instruments add another dimension to sound and music in the spoken poetry of the mele hula.

[Cecilia Lucey speaking in Hawaiian] ‘Ae, ‘Auhea ‘o ka lani Ka‘upena Wong This chant begins with the question, “where is the royal chief?” We learn very soon that the chief is out surfing on the long and short waves on the surf of Hō‘eu.

[Cecilia Lucey chanting in Hawaiian] He’e ana i ka lala lā Ho’i ana i ka muku A ka nalu o ho’eu lā Eu ho’i a’e kāua A pae a’e Kaimu lā Ho’omu nā kanaka ‘Au ‘au i ka wai lā A’o Wai’akolea Lu’u aku a ea mai lā Kaneanea o ka lani Ha’ina mai ka puana lā No Lunalilo no he inoa Ha’ina mai ka puana lā No Lunalilo no he inoa He Inoa no Lunalilo [Danette Hanohano speaking in Hawaiian] ‘Ae, A Kona Hema ‘o ka lani Ka‘upena Wong Using the pū’ili, the dancer honors the last king of Hawai‘i, David Kalākaua.

The chant tells of the king's travels about the island of Hawai‘i, where he saw the cliffs at Ka‘awaloa and where he felt the strong apa‘apa‘a wind.

[Danette Hanohano chanting in Hawaiian] ‘Ike i ka la’i a ‘Ehu Ehuehu ‘oe e ka lani Ka helena a’o Hawai’i Mālamalama nā moku Ahuwale nā kualono ‘Ike ‘ia ka pae ‘ōpua E kukū ana i ke kai I ke kai hāwanawana Ha’ina mai ka puana ‘O ka lani la e inoa E inoa no o Kalākaua [Debonair Akau speaking in Hawaiian] ‘Ae, He Wahine Hololio Ka‘upena Wong He Wahine Hololio is a chant which tells of Queen Emma's skill in horsemanship, we are delighted to hear about the Queen riding upon the horse Kina‘u.

[Debonair Akau chanting in Hawaiian] Ahe lio hula haole la Pau nā holo e’ewalu la Ekuene pono iho ana la A i pa’e pono ke kaula waha la E luana nā kanaka la I ka poli a’o Polihale la I ke kula o Kaukeano la Ano wale mai ke aloha la Hiialo nā e Kekela la Milimili nā Kauka Luka la Ha’ina mai ka puana la No Emalani he inoa la He inoa no Emalani Ka‘upena Wong In recent years, the individual who has done the most in fostering and appreciation for the ancient mele and hula is Hoakalei Kamau‘u.

It is not uncommon to see Hoakalei moving about our island state, teaching our people the ancient arts.

[Hoakalei Kamau‘u chanting in Hawaiian] Onaona i ka hala me ka lehua He hale lehua nō ia na ka noe ‘O ka‘u nō ia e ‘ano‘i nei E li‘a nei ho‘i o ka hiki mai A hiki mai nō ‘oe ‘oukou mākou Hoakalei Kamau‘u [speaking in English] I have the opportunity to go throughout the islands helping our people appreciate the ancient dance and chant.

There is so much interest in our Hawaiian arts.

Men, women and children, they all want to learn and some have chants they want to share.

I want to help our people keep the high standards of our kūpuna, our ancestors.

It can be done.

The chant is our life and our heritage.

Ka‘upena Wong Using the shock skin pahu and coconut shell drums, the outstanding hula master Hoakalei Kamau‘u and her dancers act out the nature of a woman impulsively kind, yet in turn passionate and disdainful.

Extremely aware of indeed awed by the creative and controlling forces of their island universe, the Hawaiian people found in their natural environment an unlimited source for their poetical creations.

The cold fog swept wilderness of swamp and dwarfish vegetation at the summit of Mount Wai‘ale‘ale, one of the wettest spots on Earth, are translated into a figurative language and expressive hula movements.

[Hoakalei Kamau‘u chanting in Hawaiian] …pua uwē eha i ke anu ‘O ke kūkuna lā wai lehu Mokihana Ua hana ‘ia e ka pono a ua pololei Ua ha‘ina ‘ia aku nō iā oe ‘O ke ola no ia O kia‘i loko Ki‘ei Ka‘ula nānā i ka makani Ho‘olono ka halulu o Ka Mālua Kele Ki‘ei hālō Makaikiole Kāmau ka ‘ea i ka Hālauaola He kula lima ia no Wāwaenoho Me he pūkoa hakahaka lā i Wa‘ahila Ka momoku a ka unu ‘Unulau o Lehua A lehulehu ke ka pono Le‘a ka ha‘awina Ke ‘ala mai nei o ka puka o ka hale [John Topolinski speaking in Hawaiian] Ka‘upena Wong From ancient times, men played a major role in the composition and performance of Hawai‘i's unwritten poetry.

In the spirit of their ancestors, a group of young men, led by their teacher, John Kaha‘i Topolinski, continues to preserve the vigor and drama of the ancient poets.

[John Topolinski chanting in Hawaiian] He inoa no Kū [dancer speaking in Hawaiian] [John Topolinski chanting in Hawaiian] Ua pono ‘oe ke lino a‘e Ua lohe na kupa o Kahiki ‘Elua ‘oi o kea o nei ‘O Wikolia ko Lakana ‘O Kuini Ema ko Hawai‘i Kohukohu i ka lei kalaunu Ha‘ina ‘ia mai ka puana Kaleleonalani he inoa He inoa no Emalani [dancer speaking in Hawaiian] Ae, Aia i Waipi’o Pāka’alana [John Topolinski chanting in Hawaiian] Aia i Waipi’o Pāka’alana e Paepae kapu ‘ia o Līloa e Aia i Waipi’o Pāka’alana e Paepae kapu ‘ia o Līloa e He aloha ka wahine pi’i i ka pali Pū’ili ana i ka hua ‘ūlei He aloha ka wahine pi’i i ka pali Pū’ili ana i ka hua ‘ūlei I ka ‘ai mo’a i ka lau lā’au Ho’ola’au mai o Kawelowelo Ua pe’e pā Kaiāulu o Waimea E ola o Kukeolo’ewa e [chanting in Hawaiian] He Inoa no Kamehameha [John Topolinski chanting in Hawaiian] [Ka’upena Wong chants in Hawaiian] ‘Ae a Hilo au A Hilo au e lā Ho’olulu ka lehua lā A Wailuku e lā I ka lua kanaka lā A Haili e lā I ke kula manu lā A Pana’ewa e lā I ka moku lehua lā A Lele’iwi e lā ‘Au’au i ke kai lā A Moloka’i e lā ‘Ike ala kāhi lā Ha’ina mai ka puana lā No ka lani nō he inoa lā Ka‘upena Wong Their days are over, they have departed.

The artistry lives on through the generations.

[speaking in Hawaiian] [conch shell blows]