Several years ago, there was this good sale on flights between Hawaii and Paris, France.

And so I called up all my girlfriends in the middle of the night and I said, “We’re going to Paris with our children.

You can tell your husbands in the morning.” And I wanted to write a song, it’s a fictional song because that song is based on a whirlwind romance, but my trip was a family trip.

I Versae ke kula aʻiaʻi ē Je taime ke koʻiʻi koi a loko S’il vous plaît hoʻi kāua i laila Akahi ke aloha, ua hiki mai nei I ka hoʻolalelale a ka maka Hō aʻe kāua i luna ala E huaʻi pau ai nā ʻai a ka uʻi Leha i luna i Kauleopalisa Welelau linohau kū kilakila I kilipue kāua a hoʻomau iho Kīhāpai pua ua kaulana Iā Hōkūʻula me Puaiki ʻO ka ʻiniki a ka ipo ahi He hao kuni ia na ke aloha i kuʻu poli Leha i luna i Kauleopalisa Welelau linohau kū kilakila I kilipue kāua a hoʻomau iho Leha i luna i Kauleopalisa Welelau linohau kū kilakila I kilipue kāua a hoʻomau iho hoʻomau iho Day to day I’m a teacher at Ka Haka ‘Ula Oke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language.

I teach beginning Hawaiian and Hawaiian Ethnobotany.

Some semesters I teach Hawaiian music and Hawaiian literature.

Music infiltrates all parts of my life and so does Hawaiian language.

So in my family, in my work, in my music, ‘Olelo Hawaii is the main thing.

Ke ʻala pīkake kaʻu i aloha He pua ʻala ʻoe, ʻaʻala i ka ihu Kau keha i ka poli pumehana No Kauluwela hoʻi ke ʻala Ke ʻala pīkake kaʻu i aloha He pua ʻala ʻoe, ʻaʻala i ka ihu Kau keha i ka poli pumehana No Kauluwela hoʻi ke ʻala He lei nani ʻoe na ka makua Lei pakalana, he wehi no Helena Aia i Puʻukala ke kulāiwi I ka malu o Hualālai He lei nani ʻoe na ka makua Lei pakalana, he wehi no Helena Aia i Puʻukala ke kulāiwi I ka malu o Hualālai I Waikoʻolihilihi e luana ai Lei ʻia e ka ʻohu kau kuahiwi Me ka ʻolu o ka home Pūlama He home hoʻokipa malihini I Waikoʻolihilihi e luana ai Lei ʻia e ka ʻohu kau kuahiwi Me ka ʻolu o ka home Pūlama He home hoʻokipa malihini Lei hulu maʻemaʻe o Nuʻuanu Nuʻanuʻa i ka lei onaona Puana ke aloha no Puaʻala Pua hiwahiwa o Lanihuli Lei hulu maʻemaʻe o Nuʻuanu Nuʻanuʻa i ka lei onaona Puana ke aloha no Puaʻala Pua hiwahiwa o Lanihuli Waipunalei is my favorite song.

I wrote it during the pandemic time.

So Waipunalei was created because I love the name Waipunalei, which is a place in Hilo near the Hamakua boarder.

I incorporated some of the stories of Umialīloa, status, regalia, the forest, the catching of birds to make the feather capes and, you know, beauty, honor, status, and fresh relationships.

E ke aloha, e maliu mai ʻoe Eia i Waipunalei Ua ano ka nahele ʻAʻohe lele manu o kula Ia uka wehiwehi ʻElua kāua i ke kilikili ua I kolu i ke ʻala anuhea Līhau mai nei ke oho palai Ua laʻi i ka lau lāʻau Hui: I lohia i ke anu me ka ua noe Lōliʻi ke aloha i Waipunalei Hoʻokahi kiamanu o Humuʻula Hulu mamo aliʻi kō wehi ʻUpu aʻe ka manaʻo no ka lau māmane I ʻohu ulumāhiehie noʻu Hui: I lohia i ke anu me ka ua noe Lōliʻi ke aloha i Waipunalei Hoʻokahi kiamanu o Humuʻula Hulu mamo aliʻi kō wehi ʻUpu aʻe ka manaʻo no ka lau māmane I ʻohu ulumāhiehie noʻu I ʻohu ulumāhiehie noʻu Mahinakauahiahi came from my second album Ohai Ula and it was written for my first born child when she was a baby.

Mahinakauahiahi means the moon that rises in the evening so it’s the full moon stage.

And as a new mother, I learned quickly that I still have to do the chores.

Yeah, after you give birth, I gave birth at home, and not too long after, I had to get back to chores.

And so, when I was washing dishes watching the moon rise, I thought about the words to this song.

And so, it reminds me that even though you have to do chores, there’s something beautiful that you can watch to help make it through the chore.

Iā ʻoe e Mahinakauahiahi ʻAuhea ʻoe Mahinakauahiahi I ka laʻi aʻo Hilo Bay Mehameha Mokuola ʻau i ke kai Hoʻi mai kāua e pili Ua ahiahi, eia mai ʻoe Ahuwale Hilo Hanakahi Moani mai ke ʻala kiele Ua laʻi au me Niolopua Me kuʻu pua lehiwa pili i ka poli ʻŌlinolino ka ʻilikai O Hilo Palikū, ua maluhia Iā ʻoe e Mahinakauahiahi Moani mai ke ʻala kiele Ua laʻi au me Niolopua Me kuʻu pua lehiwa pili i ka poli ʻŌlinolino ka ʻilikai O Hilo Palikū, ua maluhia Iā ʻoe e Mahinakauahiahi O Hilo Palikū, ua maluhia Iā ʻoe e Mahinakauahiahi Iā ʻoe e Mahinakauahiahi There’s a need for good foundation in Hawaiian music.

Classical Hawaiian songs, chant, stories, places.

To me, the language is primary, the poetry is primary, when that is solid, then any music, any kind of music can accompany.

Come along with me into night In your arms everything is alright So I will sing you a song As we stroll along The edge of heaven Nanea i ka ʻoē a ke kai i Kaimū Hoʻonanea i ka laʻi aumoe ʻAuhea ʻoe, e ō mai ʻoe Eia ke aloha, ʻeā, ke hea aku nei Listen, can you hear the song of the ocean?

Beckoning like a sweetheart full of emotion In the still of the night Kissed by moonlight I’m on the edge of heaven Hāʻina ka puana ua lohe ʻia I ka malu o ke kīpuka lupalupa Pāhola ʻia mai ka pōmaikaʻi Eia ke aloha, ʻeā, ke hea aku nei Hāʻina ka puana ua lohe ʻia I ka malu o ke kīpuka lupalupa Pāhola ʻia mai ka pōmaikaʻi Eia ke aloha, ʻeā, ke hea aku nei For my song, Lei Ho‘oheno, I gave it to Weldon Kekauoha for his recording project and I remember telling him, you know, put your stamp on it and make sure your ‘Olelo Hawaii, your pronunciation, your presentation is excellent.

Because that is, to me, the most important part.

And I was so happy that he took the song around the world and it has become a favorite especially in the hula world.

And I don’t mind that people may not know that I wrote the song because I enjoy hearing people sing Lei Ho‘oheno.

I enjoy seeing many different halau and families incorporate Lei Ho‘oheno into their daily life, their special occasions.

That’s the reward, so I mahalo that.

E kuʻu pili aloha Kuʻu lei kau poʻohiwi Onaona i ka ihu Nohea i ka maka Liliko i ka ua kilihune Kilipohe i ke Kanilehua Lehua E kuʻu pili aloha Kuʻu lei kau poʻohiwi Onaona i ka ihu Nohea i ka maka Liliko i ka ua kilihune Kilipohe i ke Kanilehua Wewelo ke aloha i ka ʻōnohi ʻUmeʻume mai hoʻi kau E kahi lei hoʻoheno E kuʻu pili aloha Kuʻu lei kau poʻohiwi Onaona i ka ihu Nohea i ka maka Liliko i ka ua kilihune Kilipohe i ke Kanilehua Wewelo ke aloha i ka ʻōnohi ʻUmeʻume mai hoʻi kau E kahi lei hoʻoheno E kuʻu pili aloha Kuʻu lei kau poʻohiwi Onaona i ka ihu Nohea i ka maka Liliko i ka ua kilihune Kilipohe i ke Kanilehua