As I have mentioned before, my Brother and others in my family are into Hawaiian culture and music. He just sent me this, and it’s nice so I’m passing it along. He’s the guy with the reddish beard playing fretless bass ukelele behind the singer, beginning at :24 seconds, and again at the end of the video.
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Bada BING!
Invisible Mikey 
That’s really interesting, Mikey. Watched it with my morning tea — lovely!
At one point, I think mention is made of a word that means something along the lines of ‘inner meaning’? Did I hear that right? What was the word?
I like the ‘living in the moment’ expression on your brother’s face.
Her accent was disguising the word “kauna”, which means “hidden meanings”. It’s a word signifying mythic subtext. My other family members know so much more about it than I do, though. For Americans, this is an equivalent to what you would experience studying the ancient history of Ireland.
My Brother’s a fine player, and very adaptive. Thanks.
He looks a bit like you from the eyes up.
Same forehead. Very cool player! He must be a great guy. He looks like he’d be as nice as you.
I noticed you put up “poetry too” on your blogroll on my summary. That’s very sweet!
I’m thinner. He’s taller. He’s the extrovert, and more comfortable in public than I am. Yes, he’s very kind, though he used to be more of a “playa” than a player. We’ve both mellowed with age. Because we crack each other up when we hang out together, the nephew/niece gen. call us “the weird uncles” and roll their eyes.
I admire the ability to write poetry. It’s a great mystery to me, one I haven’t solved.
Similar to the Maori of New Zealand – polynesian cultures are similar throughout I think.
Some of the music/dance groups offer all kinds of Pacific Island culture; Hawaiian, Tahitian, Maori. That Maori stuff’s exciting and fierce!
I love a good haka before the rugby!
Not too sure of the translation here though……
I didn’t need a translation. They are chanting “Look out for us!”, or something much ruder with the same meaning. I would run…
I used to tell my American acquaintances that I would love to watch competative sports if only we had Rugby here. But the reactions they give me to that statement is as if I just spoke unthinkable infidelity. So now I just keep quiet. That chant is really cool though.
Yes, they are rather keen on their grid iron, aren’t they? Despite being born a kiwi, I’m not much of a rugby fan – hate to disappoint you.
I do love Australian Rules Football though – I think you would too. Fast, dangerous and athletic gladiators. What more could a woman want? Then again I have a husband who loves soccer, so we are going to split 50/50 – I think!
Those are some big scary looking gourd instruments. But The folk music is beautifull with the voice and other instruments. (not the usual twangy guitar thing they always play on tv.)
They make instruments out of what’s around; gourds, sea shell type hand clickers, branches to swish and crack, and of course drums and sticks. The ukelele alone is the import, evolved from small guitars brought by Portugese sailors in the mid-19th Century. I wrote an earlier article on them:
Very cool. I hope they are able to preserve this beautiful and loving art form.
Me too. They seem to have done it well for many generations. It probably has something to do with the preservative power of spirit inherent in the art itself.
Have you seen James Michener’s ‘Hawaii’? I’m guessing yes if it’s (Hawaii) in your family tradition. I just remember the queen was married to her brother and died of a broken heart when she had to split with him to accept the new religion. And they had (before western settlers arrived) something like 26 words for sex, most of those acts outlawed elsewhere.
I had the good fortune of going to Hawaii -Oahu – in 1987. I know it’s the commercial area, but still, Hanauma Bay was dreamy. The white beach with cool shade from coconut trees, the thousands of psychedelic colored parrot fish in the water who take food from your fingers. And the zoo at Waikiki with the screeching Reese monkeys. It feels like this music is as relaxing as an ocean sunset or the gentle afternoon rains that sprinkled the beaches every day. A fond memory for me.
I did see the film on TV, though I don’t recall much about it. How lovely that you’ve been there. I haven’t, though most of the rest have, including my wife who lived there for a couple of years as a girl. I know the least about it, though I do have a knack for quickly fitting into almost any culture. It’s part of being “invisible”.
My family’s love and interest in Hawaiian culture is pretty recent. We got it as a gift from my brother’s partner, who lived there for many years. It speaks to our need for a tribal past, which we don’t really have except by our having been “adopted” by those already infused with aloha spirit.
Within the next few years, I want to go kayak out to the Humpback pod near Maui during calving/mating season. I have been studying whale song.
I loved this video. It really brings me back to living in Kaua’i… Your brother looked very content. I remember being so peaceful and happy in that environment. The Aloha Spirit is most definitely alive and well.
Mahalo Aloha Nui Loa my friend
♥
You are always welcome, my dear. Mahalo nui loa na ho’olaule’a me la kaua. I’ll pop over to your site later to hear your new songs.