Kuaokalā
PROJECT DETAILS
CLIENT: Kāhuli Leo Leʻa
FUNDED BY: The Institute of Museum and Library Services
ROLE: Videography + Editing
FEATURING: Kainani Kahaunaele
ALBUM: Ka Haku Mele
ALBUM DETAILS: kahulileolea.org/kahakumele
“Ka Haku Mele” showcases 12 new compositions designed to highlight the distinctive qualities of this cultural practice. Unlike typical albums, each track includes visual liner notes—a video where each composer offers educational insights into the haku mele process. Alongside written lyrics and translations, “Ka Haku Mele” serves as an audiovisual exhibit that aims to advance the Hawaiian language revitalization movement by promoting fluency in mele vernacular.
This project explores the profound impact of mele (Hawaiian songs and chants) as a form of oral tradition used by Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians) to preserve and transmit knowledge, culture, and worldview across generations. It highlights how mele served as mnemonic devices that enabled the continuity of information without relying on written words, contrasting this with the contemporary dependence on written documentation. Featuring the work of notable Haku Mele (skilled composers) and mele practitioners like Kainani Kahaunaele, Cody Pueo Pata, Zachary Lum, and Kealiʻi Reichel, the project underscores the significance of mele in celebrating and maintaining Hawaiian heritage. It aims to inspire future generations by emphasizing the importance of oral traditions in retaining ancestral knowledge and reinforcing connections to people, places, and the environment.
MELE: KUAOKALĀ
HAKU MELE: KAINANI KAHAUNAELE
This song is about the mountain at Kaʻena Point called Kuaokalā. Translated, Kuaokalā means “back of the son.” Kainani Kahaunaele uses this land feature as a metaphor for a man’s ridged back facing up towards the sun and Kaʻena Point as a female body lying stretched out into the ocean on her back…you get the visual.
(More details + photos to come)