Waikīkī Hula
He aloha ʻia no aʻo Waikīkī, eā Beloved is Waikīkī Ka nehe o ke kai hāwanawana The rustling of the whispering sea Pa iho ka makani lawe mālie, eā The wind blows carrying softly Ke ʻala onaona o ka līpoa The sweet fragrance of Seaweed Kaulana kou inoa i nā malihini, eā Your name is famous to visitors Kaʻapuni kou nani puni ka honua All your beauty is known around the world Huli aku nānā ia Kaimana Hila, eā Turn and look at Diamond Head 'Ike i ka nani aʻo Honolulu See the beauty of Honolulu Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana, eā The story is told He aloha ʻia no aʻo Waikīkī Beloved is Waikīki |
The mele Waikīkī Hula, a song that was written for Pualeilani, the Waikīkī home of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole talks about the love of Waikīkī and the abundance of limu līpoa. “Pa iho ka makani lawe mālie, eā Ke ʻala onaona o ka līpoa.” Simply translated, the wind blows carrying softly the sweet fragrance of seaweed. This mele takes the listener back to a time where Waikīkī was flourishing with limu līpoa. As a frequent surfer at Waikīkī, limu līpoa is difficult to find, so it is surprising that a song written in 1921 captures the smell and imagery of Waikīkī in the sense of the fertility of the land. Waikīkī Hula was given to Helen Ayat ,by her mother who was a personal assistant to Princess Kahanu, the wife of Prince Kuhio. The importance of Wakīkī and the fertile grounds it once had, reflects the relationship that Hawaiian people have with their place. |
Hanohano Helumoa
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In the song, Hanohano Helumoa composed by Manu Boyd, he honors Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Hanohano Helumoa means glorious is Helumoa. Helumoa is located in Wakīkī and is the place where the Royal Hawaiian Hotel stands today. Helumoa is named when the supernatural rooster Kaʻauhelumoa flew down to Waikīkī from Pālolo valley and started to furiously scratch the earth. Soon after, this place was filled with coconut trees. Helumoa then became the name of that place and multiplied to be a coconut grove of over 10,000 trees. Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop inherited this land and is where she lived during her final days when she was faced with terminal illness. It was at Helumoa that Princess Bernice wrote her will establishing her legacy for Kamehameha Schools.
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