Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 2, 1 February 1989 — "Puke Mele"—A Treasury of Song [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

"Puke Mele"—A Treasury of Song

Favorite songs sung by generations of Hawaiians are featured in Puke Mele: Volume I, a book of traditional Hawaiian songs, complete with lyrics, English translations and explanatory notes. Most of the 40 songs are mele hula (songs intended for dancing), plus a few himeni (songs to be sung, not to be confused with himeni haipule, or religious hymns). A second volume is expected to be released later this year.

Editor, translator and compiler of Puke Mele is Kimo Alama, who dedicated it to "my Hawaiianspeaking tutu, Rachel Toomey Mundzak, who always had a song in her heart and a hula in her hips." Alama is a hula instructor, professional musician, singer, and chanter. For the past ten years he has judged major hula contests. Alama is also an eighth grade history teacher at Washington Intermediate school and a student at the University of Hawai'i, finishing his master's degree in secondary social studies. He comes from a family of musicians and entertainers — his father Sam Alama was an performer in the 1930s. Many of the songs in Puke Mele are popular folk tunes whieh have not appeared in print before. There are children's songs too, and some pieces

rarely heard nowadays. Alama notes that while the composers of some of the traditional songs are un-

known, the songs have been sung for generations. He adds, "The importance of these songs is (to show) the way another generation of Hawaiians expressed life. To put yourself in their plaee at that time is to get a better understanding of the way they lived and thought. The song was a vehicle to immortalize persons, places, and events." Alama's research reveals fascinating stories behind the songs, how they eame to be composed, and explains the symbolism of song imagery that further adds to their beauty. Some songs in the book: "Ke hone a'e Nei," "Nani Ka'ala," "Papalina Lahilahi," "Latitu," "Kani 'U'ina," "Wahine Poupou," and more.

The cover of this 104-page book is laminated and the pages are bound with plastic binding so pages will lay flat; it's also small enough to fit easily inside an 'ukulele case. Copies are available for $12.50 at the House of Music, Honolulu Book Shops, Hula Supply Center, Hawai'i Polynesian Cultural Supply in La'ie, Bishop Museum's Shop Pacifica, and Harry's Music. Publisher Alama notes this will be the only printing of volume I he intends to do. However, he is planning to release a second volume late this year.

Kimo Alama