Hawaii No Ka Oi

A friend shared this video of various artists from Hawaii.  It really makes you feel homesick for the Islands.

Many years ago I worked with Palani Vaughan's dad, Frank at TheoDavies.  What a treat it was to listen to Palani, his dad and brother sing together.  That was priceless!

While at TheoDavies, (formerly known as Theo. H. Davies) in 1973, I also had the opportunity to meet the Tai Pan, Simon Keswick.  His family's business in Asia, called Jardine Matheson, was a far eastern trading company founded in 1832.  They purchased TheoDavies and diversified by adding Pizza Hut, and the Taco Bell franchises, as well as Mercedes Benz and Jaguar. 

The video features several local artists and the various sights in Hawaii.  I especially loved the Ipu's (not Ipo's - as my daughter corrected me).  Wouldn't mind playing that instrument.  It is made from gourds that have been hollowed out.

I hope that you enjoy this video as much as I did:

http://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=w9aaYCsQC6I&u=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbhibLQFebpQ%26feature%3Dshare

This song was written by Eleanor Kekoaohiwaikalani Wright Prendergast as a patriotic song for members of the Royal Hawaiian Band who protested the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalni and the annexation to the United States.  The members of the band walked off their jobs after the bandmaster tried to force them to sign an oath of loyalty to the provisional government, which later became the Republic of Hawaii.  They felt that it was not right to sell one's loyalty to their country for money.

For a long time the song was considered sacred and was not used for hula dancing.  Today this song is usually danced by graceful, mature women.

The words and one interpretation is as follows:

Kaulana nā pua aʻo Hawaiʻi Kūpaʻa mahope o ka ʻāina Hiki mai ka ʻelele o ka loko ʻino Palapala ʻānunu me ka pākaha	Famous are the children of Hawaiʻi Ever loyal to the land When the evil-hearted messenger comes With his greedy document of extortion
Pane mai Hawaiʻi moku o Keawe       Kōkua nā Hono aʻo Piʻilani Kākoʻo mai Kauaʻi o Mano Paʻapū me ke one Kākuhihewa	Hawaiʻi, land of Keawe answers The bays of Piʻilani help Kauaʻi of Mano lends support All are united by the sands of Kākuhihewa
ʻAʻole aʻe kau i ka pūlima Maluna o ka pepa o ka ʻenemi Hoʻohui ʻāina kūʻai hewa I ka pono sivila aʻo ke kanaka	Do not fix a signature To the paper of the enemy With its sin of annexation And sale of the civil rights of the people
ʻAʻole mākou aʻe minamina I ka puʻukālā a ke aupuni Ua lawa mākou i ka pōhaku I ka ʻai kamahaʻo o ka ʻāina	We do not value The government's hills of money We are satisfied with the rocks The wondrous food of the land
Mahope mākou o Liliʻulani A loaʻa e ka pono o ka ʻāina     [alternate stanza:      A kau hou ʻia e ke kalaunu] Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana Ka poʻe i aloha i ka ʻāina	We support Liliʻuokalani Who has won the rights of the land     [alternate stanza:      She will be crowned again] The story is told Of the people who love the land

Aloha to all of you that read this!

Source:  ref:  Wikipedia Kaulana Na Pua