A few weeks ago, my hula students performed at a weekend Hula and Chant workshop sponsored by Te Mana Ora. Te Mana Ora is a local organization that brings master teachers of Polynesian arts for weekend seminars. Luckily, the famous Kealiʻi Reichel of Maui was here to teach the workshop.
Kealiʻi was born and raised on Maui. He is a singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, chanter, scholar and Kumu Hula(master teacher of the Hula). He has been awarded 19 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards and his consistent placement in Billboard Magazineʻs World Music and Heatseeker Charts has garnered him international attention. He founded
Halau Keʻalaokamaile in 1980 and has won numerous awards over the years.
In 1994 he independently produced and released a collection of Hawaiian traditional and contemporary songs and chants entitled "
Kawaipunahele" which became an instant success. I remember that his music helped to sooth my jangled nerves through a rough time with my work. Iʻd listen to this CD over and over again as I pored through my work.
In early 2006, Kealiʻi released
"Kamahiwa" which featured one disc of Hawaiian
oli (chant) and another of his music. The first song was Maunaleo written for his mother. Literally Maunaleo means mountain voice, and it is the name of a mountain found in the sacred Iao Valley on Maui. The fabric of the song uses this mountain as a metaphor for his mother: beloved, sparkling, a cherished one respected for power and strength. To walk slowly in that valley is to feel the resiliency and beautiful strength of the
ʻaina (land) with itʻs ridges and rivers. It is apt imagery for the power and love that comes from a womanʻs, a motherʻs heart.
I was mesmerized and inspired by this
mele (song) first by its melody and then by itʻs lyrics. The hula choreography for this song just naturally came to me about a year or so later. Kealiʻi calls Hula, the physical manifestation of the word. Itʻs a joy for me to choreograph hulas to songs that move me. Living in Chicago since 2003, Kealiʻiʻs music has always brought me back to the beauty of my home in the islands.
Knowing he was coming in 6 weeks, nine of my hula students learned and practiced dancing Maunaleo with great intention, focus and joy. It never occurred to me that Kealiʻi himself would sing for us. So I contacted Chicago baritone Jeffrey Strauss to sing Maunaleo for us. Jeff worked very hard meeting many times with me to check on his Hawaiian pronunciation.
Finally we were ready. My eyes grew wide with excitement as I arrived at the Holiday Inn Rolling Meadows where Te Mana Oraʻs David Kawika Acevedo told me that Kealiʻi said he himself would sing Maunaleo. I was so surprised and excited! When I told the women, who were all busy getting ready, the dressing room was abuzz with high energy.
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The Women of Halau i Ka Pono
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Then it was time. The women were arrayed in blue and green sleeveless dresses, long white shell leis, and wore big magenta-tinged dahlias in their hair. We walked quietly down to the room where some 200 chairs were filled with people who love Hawaii and Hawaiian music.
Excitement rippled under the womenʻs calm exteriors. When it was time for us to dance, we walked up to the stage where Kealiʻi sat on a chair with his guitar telling the story of the song. He motioned us to walk in front of him to our places as he finished telling his story about the importance of telling someone you love them while they are still alive.
He started strumming those familiar introductory notes of the song we all had come to love. Then he sang, "He aloha no o Maunaleo (Beloved indeed is Maunaleo)...." The women started dancing, appreciating this special moment when a "....cherished one, respected for power and strength," sang for them. We truly felt "touched by heaven."
