E Ola Mau Na Mele Maoli

Na ‘aumakua lifted us, gifted us mana
These oceans, these notions of infinite time and space, this race, this place
To bring to our waha a sound so embraced
By a spiritual bond in our blood with this place
From ancient drums come the hum of a thousand mystic oli about a thousand perfect moments as inspired by this place
Collected, inspected, perfected – memorized, internalized, synthesized for centuries to greet us in this space
Different space…same place
The same inspiration is the same motivation for musical creation today
How can we deny the tie we bring to the songs we sing
When those songs are inspired by the land where we stand…
’O ke kua’ana of the Hawaiian man…

They brought sneezes and measles, smallpox and bumps
Syphilis, cholera, typhoid and lumps
They brought infinite shiploads of horrible things
And weird proclamations from far away kings
But…they did bring guitars…and they gave us some strings
And WOW, those guitars did some magical things
In the hands of a human already groovin’ to a beat that’s been movin’ for centuries now

So we synthesize, fantasize, romanticize the sounds my Tutu made one night
With the moon so bright, that lu’au night…right
An unforgettable squid lu’au she made that night…
Love in that yard, love in the food, love in the songs she sang later that night
She synthesized, harmonized, romanticized a song she’d heard some time before
Musical lore…sung by the folks not around anymore
And though the song has changed it somehow stays the same as it was before
Musical lore…

And these songs, they’re emulated, fabricated, manipulated by a world that LOVES our music
And they say, “Hey, that’s the way to play the sway of the palm, the sea and its calm”
A musical portrait of rolling surf calling, gentle rain falling
Sun-kissed Hawaiians in hula skirts trying
To test their luck and turn a buck in a world no longer charmed by untouched reaches of beaches…
Hey there Mister Man, you say you know my way?
Is it my Lovely Hula Hands, My Little Grass Skirt, or My Yellow Ginger Lei?
What are the songs that come to mind when moved by ma’anei?
I’ll tell you what I say…I say KU’E, KU’E…

So we synthesize, romanticize, harmonize the music of both then and now
And we know somehow when the song is pau…wow
Even though the world is crazy and so different now
Love for these songs, love for this place, love for the legacy all of us vow
To perpetuate, emulate, radiate out for the whole world to see
‘O na mele Hawai’i…sung by the winds and the rain and the sea
The sounds of these islands are like music to me
And to everyone touched by its beauty, and we
We commit to defend the longevity
E ola mau ‘o na mele Hawai’i…