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Ku'e Songs and Petitions!

Aloha mai kakou,

I am looking for and researching ku'e songs during the time of the overthrow here in Hawai'i. I am also looking for any specific names or places where people would congregate and hold meetings for organizations such as Aloha 'Aina.

I've had some great suggestions on some good songs to start with, but would love any other mana'o that you may have in helping me put together a format of songs for a creative project I am working on. Mahalo nui loa. E ola mau i ka mele Hawai'i!

Hale Mawae
Eo Lono!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tane on March 22, 2008 at 6:42pm

Aloha e Hale:

Oublished in 1895, Buke Mele Lahui, Buke I is a collection of such songs. The most famous is kaulana na Pua/Aloha Aina/ Ai Pohaku. Hawai'i aloha was also one which Hawaiians brought into their church to sing in defiance of the U.S. and it's American conspirators in Hawaii. It was a difficult time since many couldn't find work unless they signed an oath of allegiance to the false government sponsored by the U.S. While being suppressed, they found ways of protestting through music and what better way to do it then in their churches. It was regarded as a church hymn so no one gave them grief over it. LOL... Now it's sung more openly as a song of pride of Hawaii rather than a song of resistence that it actually is for the Hawaii Nationals.

Some of the songs praised the Queen, some of the insurgents led by Robert Wilcox, some about national pride. Diamond Head was also an area of distinction and a semi-symbol of rebellion against the US foreigners. Lots of kaona, too! Today's composers have added that theme to their lists and also revived some of the chants and songs for that purpose. There are the old songs of resistence and the modern day songs of resistence.

Permalink Reply by Eo Lono! on March 24, 2008 at 1:38pm

Mahalo nui loa for that mana'o Tane. I do actually have a lot of information gathered already on the Buke Mele Lahui, but am grateful and eager to hear new mana'o regarding thoughts as I construct my creative Ku'e project.

A hui hou. Malama pono

Hale Mawae
Eo Lono!

Permalink Reply by Kamealoha on April 8, 2008 at 8:04pm

Eia kekahi mele mai Kaua'i moku Mano no ka ho'okupa'a 'ana i ka pono o Lili'uokalani ko lakou ali'i

Eo e Lili'u, e Lolokuokalani
'O he hiwahiwa ho'i na ka lahui
Ka pua a Keohokalole,
He wohi, he mamo, he ali'i ki'eki'e e,

Ka lani e Lolokulani e,
Aloha 'oe, aloha nui,
Ka leo keia ou maka'ainana
'O Manokalanipo.

E ala Kaua'i moku ka'ili la
Eia Kalani a kakou
Lokahi ka mana'o a pa'a i ka pono
I makia 'ia 'o Lili'u.

Kokua nui mai ho'i na mana lani
Ke Kuwini nui o Hawai'i.
'O Witolia ko Pelekane e
'O 'oe ko Hawai'i nei.

Aia keia mele a me ka unuhi ma ka puke Na Mele Welo, Na Puku'i i unuhi

Permalink Reply by 'Umi Perkins on April 11, 2008 at 7:52pm

Aloha mai kakou! Mahalo nui for this new and excellent line of discussion -

Leilani Basham is probably one of the top experts on this, she just wrote a dissertation
on Mele Lahui (diss in Hawaiian!) in Political Science at UHM - she is on Maoliworld, and is
now a prof at UH West Oahu
check her out

Permalink Reply by Laulani on May 6, 2008 at 9:18am

Yea, OMG, I just saw a presentation she did and it was AWESOME! I was blown away. If you are interested in mele aloha 'aina of that time period, you gotta talk to this sista.
Aloha, Laulani