ULUWEHI

To mark FIFTEEN incredible years of music making, the men of Waipuna have woven mele honoring an alluring assortment of pua into a commemorative lei.  Their stunning creation pays literal tribute to each blossom and reveals heartfelt emotions of the composers.

Hawaiian haku mele are masters of metaphor, double entendre and veiled references.  Their works flourish with figurative expression artfully crafted to cloak private desires, heap praise upon the object of their affection and fantacize fulfillment of passionate yearnings.  Their poetry engages the listener, teases our imaginations and leaves us pondering…

• The hinahina that grew at the shore in Waipi‘o with whom Sam Liʻa had a lifelong love affair;
• The enchanting scent of the lokelani that beautified Puakea Nogelmeierʻs garden and adorned him with perfume;
• The aromatic lei maile sought by Kawaikapuokalani Hewett in the uplands of Lanihuli, as well as the cherished, sparkling lei māmane of Lilinoe he caressed on Mauna Kea;
• The unforgettable synergy with a beloved pua in the chill of misty rain as reminisced by Kale Hannahs;
• The sweet never fading flower of Queen Lili‘uokalani, with soft eyes as black as jet and pink cheeks so delicate of hue;
• The flirtatous hinahina that satisfied Johnny Almeidaʻs pangs of desire before falling to the ground with a throbbing ache;
• The sunny disposition and resilience of a daisy reflected in ‘ukulele stylings of David Kamakahi and Jake Shimabukuro;
• The tender bud of sandalwood that captured the affection of Bill Ali‘iloa Lincoln and aroused dew drops of love;
• The revered plumeria of Edith Kanaka‘ole, possessing beauty like that of a rainbow and a sweet fragrance that embraces the land; and
• The verdent ahupua‘a ʻAukai Reynolds found at Waipā, resplendent in palapalai, embraced by the kou and hau, treasured by nā kupa o ka ‘āina.

Dreamy poets are realists, too.  They revel in the moment, knowing, “Hala a‘e kēia pō, uhi mai kapa ‘ele‘ele…This night will pass, black kapa will spread forth.”  But the conclusion of each life cycle holds the promise of a new season.  It is a universal concept that Kale Hannahs and Yoko Koike observed in the sakura of Japan.  “In the Spring sun, light shines, the snow will melt, the birds will sing joyful songs and I will know that wounds will heal when a thousand sakura bloom again.”

Waipuna has entitled this collection of mele “Uluwehi”.  It celebrates the verdure of our world and entwines sentiments of aloha and gratitude into a “lei hiehie mau, ē, a lei of unfading elegance.”

Neil J. Kaho‘okele Hannahs

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