So far, our albums seem to have a theme of travel This one keeps it going. And,likethe others, it's a blend of traditional and original music. And, as usual, I'm the word person, and Manu's the music person. It's always fun for us to record traditional pieces in a new way, because it's a great excuse to focus on the research and really learn as much as we can about these mele. When you grow up with something, it's nice to take the time to reexamine it and look at it from a fresh perspective. We love to celebrate the sunrise by heading down to Kumukahi. It's the first place in Hawai`i to be touched by the sun each day. Like so many mele about wahi pana, songs about special places, to really understand "Ho`opuka e ka La ma Kahikina," I think you have to go there. There is nothing like experiencing the mele in the place it happens. to walk in the dark,trusting that the path will lead you safely to sunrise; to see the sun bust through the clouds as you stand on that last little tiny bit of land before there is nothing but ocean until you reach Mazatlan; to see the `iwa wheeling silently overhead dancing in the clouds. . . Like the mele says,we stand before the face of the Mysterious Divine. "He Kamahele Au" was originally released in our storytelling album, "By Moonlight, By Sunlight." But we've had so many requests for an album that's all music, as well as requests to bring the song back, we thought we would include it here. "I am a traveler on the road of life, perceiving the beauty of the world." "Traditional again, the "Ho`i" brings us back from our journeys. "Return, return, return through the mists. . ." "Na Lei Mokupuni" was written especially for the Hilo Lei Day Festival, held each May 1. It was written for the 10th annual festival, held in 2014, and describes the many different kind of lei one might encounter in traveling all the way around the island. Manu laid down all of the tracks for "Lihipali," a gentle instrumental inspired by the soft rains that fall on our Hilo home of that name. In it he plays both ki ho`alu and `ohe hano ihu - slack key guitar and traditional Hawaiian flute. The lovely mele "Manu `O`o" has been attributed variously to Harry Na`ope, director of Haili Choir at Haili Church in Hilo, and John Kalapana. John Piilani Watkins' group did the first recording of it on 49th State Records with Lydia Wong singing the lead. The Watkins had a canary bird which decided to provide accompaniment. That recording is considered the most beautiful ever made of the song. For lyrics and information about this and many other Hawaiian mele, visit the Huapala website. It's an amazing resource. "Ke Ha`a la Puna" is another traditional mele dating from ancient times. We love performing it at Ha`ena, by the sea in Puna. "The women dance a dance of joy by the sea of Nanahuki." It holds a special place in our hearts, as we learned it from Aunty Nona Beamer as one that Hi`iakaikapoliopele, patroness of hula, danced with her dear friend, Hopoe. Though it is a more modern mele we have always associated "Holei" with Pele because the features it describes are her handiwork. As a child, my summers and weekends were spent on the sea cliffs of the Kalapana-Kehena area, listening to that great-voiced sea. With so much of Puna reclaimed by Ka Wahine Kapu, the mele takes on special poignancy. Not long ago, I spend a weekend in Kalapana with one of my dearest friends, and made video of some of the landscape with my cellphone. I made my very first music video with it! Though shaky, it captures, for me, much of my feeling about Kalapana. To find it, search for "Holei Leilehua Yuen." In the journey of Hi`iaka to find Pele's sweetheart, Lohi`au, at one point she is on the island of O`ahu, and stands on the height of Wahiawā. From there she can hear the surf pounding at Waialua, and can see Waialua and across the channel to Līhu`e. O Waialua kai leo nui Ua lono ka uka o Līhu`e Ke wā ala Wahiawa e, Kuli wale, kuli wale i ka leo He leo no ke kai e. At some time, possibly in the 1970s, someone changed the place names to Kalapana and Hōlei. It is believed to have been a woman with the surname of “Kay.” A much-loved version of the mele was recorded by Dennis Pavao on his album All Hawai`i Stand Together, released in 1994. The ever gracious Aunty Maria Hickling wrote in the on-line Hawaiian music resource "Taro patch" forum: ". . . this is “The whole Hōlei story...straight from Led... [Ledward Ka`apana] Mama Tina had a painting of Kalapana in their house, and below it was a poem about Kalapana (written by someone with last name "Kay" -- who received full credit for the lyrics). Led liked the poem, composed a melody for it -- and added some text. Took it to Hui `Ohana for recording, but no one wanted it add it to the album at that time. Hui `Ohana never recorded the song. So when Led joined with Alika Odom and Bernard Kalua as 'Na Leo Kane O Punahele,' they were the first to record the song -- and went on to be known as 'Led Kaapana & I Kona' on their later albums. Dennis Pavao recorded the song on his album, 'All Hawai`i Stand Together'. . .” Since that time, the song has become a much-loved anthem of the Kalapana area. "E Kau, e Kau"is another ditty associated with Pele. It's used in a game similar to kendama. A ball on a string is caught and batted with a looped stick in rhythem to the lyrics of a chant. In"Na Huku," an instrumental inspired by the depth and mystery of our lava tubes, Manu recorded both slack key guitar and flute tracks,adn i added Hawaiian percussion - `ili`ili and `uli`uli. Another traditional mele hula, "Kona Kai `Opua," is one of the first we teach keiki, though it is very suitable for adults. It is generally attributed to Kalola for Liholiho, Kamehameha Pai`ea's heir, but Kihei de Silva has an excellent exploration of it on-line. We were blessed to have Manu's mom live with us in the final years of her life. At times she would grant us the gift of stories of her childhood. Her grandparents were favorite topics, and she told us many stories of her grandfather's horse, "Nani." Nani was a palomino who knew the trails of Kohala by heart. As a young mare, her job was to carry her handsome rider to hes sweetheart, and then home. Manu was especially intrigued by this story of courtship, and wanted to tell it from the perspective of the horse. So, while he worked out the rhythm of the horses hooves with his guitar, I worked on trying to think like a horse and putting it down in intelligible words. Thus the mele, "Nani Lio." For over a year, each morning around 10:00, the singing bus came by our house. Probably something was going on with the transmission, but whatever it was, it gave the bus a beautiful, melodic voice. As it shifted gears to pull up our hill, we could hear "oooooo-OOOOO-oooooo! OOOOOO-oooo!" Manu spent day after day lurking in the yard with his guitar, trying to copy the melody of the bus. He finally got it. "Bus 402." I wrote "Saddle Road" over 10 years ago when I had a Jeep Cherokee and commuted back and forth across the island. Saddle Road was the fastest way over, and I loved its twists and turns. I'm so glad I got to write the song before they straightened it. Honoring the many requests for Manu to do more instrumentals, we recorded "He Kamahele Au" and the "Ho`i" with Manu's guitar and flutes. Enjoy, and see you on the road!