Nā Mele on PBS Hawaiʻi is sponsored by First Hawaiian Bank, First Insurance Company of Hawaii and The Olson Trust.

Kohu kihene pua ka u‘i (ea)  Kohu kihene pua ka u‘i (ea) He nani maoli no, Ho‘olana   Pumehana kou inoa a‘o Ho‘olana (la)  Pumehana kou inoa a‘o Ho‘olana (la) He nani maoli no, Ho‘olana ‘oe no‘u (la)  Hu mai ke aloha no ka ku‘u ipo (la) Hu mai ke aloha no ka ku‘u ipo (la)  He nani maoli   no, Ho‘olana ‘oe no‘u (la) He mele Keia ‘oe ko‘u aloha (ea)  He mele Keia ‘oe ko‘u aloha (ea) He nani maoli no, Ho‘olana ‘oe no‘u (la) He nani maoli no, Ho‘olana ‘oe no‘u (la) My name is Nathan Aweau, and we are at  beautiful Kahana Bay which is on the   northeast side of Oʻahu.

I came down here with  my guitar one day, and just started playing,   and realized that this place, to me, had  some kind of a significant spiritual feeling,   because I started writing songs very easily.

And since then, every time I need to get   into that mode of writing, I would come down  here a lot.

That’s what Kahana means to me.

I grew up Kāneʻohe, which is a few  miles down the road.

My family used   to come here quite a bit, or at  least on this side of the island,   Punaluʻu and down the road, to go camping  a lot and fishing.

And always remembered,   never forgot this area, because it was  just good times, good childhood days.

[MUSIC] I was on an airplane coming home from a long  tour of the mainland.

I looked out my window,   and I said, Oh, my god, see Waimānalo, Kailua,  Kāneʻohe.

My home, and Koʻolau.

And it just kinda   tripped me out, you know, when I saw it.

And all  of a sudden, this bunch of melodies and lyrics   started coming to me, a story if you will.

So  literally, I think I still have it; I grabbed   a barf bag, and I grabbed my pen, and I started  writing lyrics and ideas, you know, practically   like trying to—you know, my face was like  smashed to the window going, Oh, my god, that’s   so beautiful.

It took like a good five minutes  prior to landing, but within that time, Kāneʻohe,   Koʻolau, and Me Kuʻu One Hanau E is the third  song; all those three songs came during that time.

Hooluolu ka makani (la) o ka Koolau au nau la Hooluolu ka makani (la) o ka Koolau au nau la Pomaikai Kaneohe i ka mana o Koolau pauaho la Pomaikai Kaneohe i ka mana o Koolau pauaho la Leo nahenahe o Koolau mele nau la Leo nahenahe o Koolau mele nau la He nani ku puiwa ea, me oe no wau ea Haina ia mai kapuana, Kilakila e Koolau Kilakila e Koolau Kāne‘ohe ‘ohu‘ohu i ka ua mai nani E ‘olino nei aupuni ka honua la Pa’a I ka mana‘o Kāneʻohe Me ka nani o ku‘u home la Ma ka lei hao na pali a‘o Ko‘olau Nani wale ku‘u home, Kāne‘ohe!

Kuahiwi hanohano a‘o Ko‘olau I ka hene wai ‘olu lawe lau a mina la Pa‘a i ka mana‘o Kāne‘ohe Me ka nani o ku‘u home la Ma ka lei hao na pali a‘o Ko‘olau Nani wale ku‘u home, Kāne‘ohe!

Ko mau ka wai!

Holinolino mau!

Ke home me a‘e Mea ku‘u pu‘uwai!

Ea!

Ua la‘i na honua Kāne‘ohe la Malie ke kai me makani la Pa‘a i ka mana‘o Kāne‘ohe Me ka nani o ku‘u home la Ma ka lei hao na pali a‘o Ko‘olau Nani wale ku‘u home, Kane‘ohe!

Ko mau ka wai!

Holinolino mau!

Ke home me a‘e Mea ku‘u pu‘uwai!

Ea!

Ha‘ina ia mai ana ka puana la Pi‘i ka lani Nani wale ku‘u home Ea!

Pa‘a i ka mana‘o Kāne‘ohe Me ka nani o ku‘u home la Ma ka lei hao na pali a‘o Ko‘olau Nani wale ku‘u home, Kāne‘ohe!

Kāne‘ohe!

‘Auhe ‘oe e uhiwai Ke hea mai nei uhiwai Makana nō ‘oe he nani maoli nō (eā) A kau mai e ke ahiahi Me kea o mālamalama O ka welo a ka la, kala ia ‘oe (la) Ke kali nei i ka ho‘ina Ho‘i ke aloha ‘āina Eia ho‘i au, eia ho‘i au (eā) Uhiwai, uhiwai – he nani maoli nō Uhiwai, uhiwai – o ua ku‘u nei (la) Uhiwai, uhiwai – e ku‘u pu‘uwai My parents had their fiftieth anniversary  party, so I thought it would be special to write   something for them.

So, I kinda thought about  it, and one morning went out to my backyard, and   after one of those heavy, heavy storms the night  before, I looked out, and it was interesting.

I   looked at the Koʻolau, and the mist and the clouds  were kinda hovering, and it almost looked like it   was hugging the mountains.

Uhiwai means mist, or  heavy mist in Hawaiian.

Uhiwai also, in kauna or   Hawaiian poetry, can also mean love or describes  love.

So, I just thought it was a very interesting   idea, how the mist was hugging the mountains.

So,  I took that idea, and wrote Uhiwai for my parents.

The song Mahinahina, which means Under the  Moonlight, talks about the first time my wife   and I went out on a date.

We were sixteen years  old.

Built up enough courage to ask her out,   she said no, but you know, just kept going,  kept asking her, then finally after a year   she said yes.

We ended up at what is now the  Kahala Resort Hotel, and it was a perfect   night.

The moon was full, and we just had a great  time.

We’ve been married twenty-five years now.

Po‘ina ‘oe i ka pā‘anaakalā, A ia kahi mea nō ka mahina a mea na hōkū, eā Makemake ia ‘u ho‘oulupuni nō ‘oe ‘ā, ‘oia i ka mahinahina, ‘ike ‘oe, eā Makemake au e honi ia ‘oe i ke au māhinahina Ka pa kōnane a ka mahina la ke ala hula o ke kai mālie, eā Ka mea ho ‘okahi e ha‘o wale ana ia ‘oe i lalo ma ka mahinahina pili kaua, eā Makemake au e honi ia ‘oe i ke au māhinahina Aloha Pumehana… Aloha Pumehana… Puana ka inoa o ka māhinahina eia ho‘i i ha‘i mai keia la, eā A‘ole hui ia ‘u no ke aha mai la, i lalo ma ka māhinahina pili kāua, eā Makemake au e honi ia ‘oe i ke au māhinahina Makemake au e honi ia ‘oe i ke au māhinahina Māhinahina Māhinahina ‘Io she watches, perched up high Protecting kamali‘i with a watchful eye  Unconditional Aloha, she teaches all ‘Cause Grandma’s pu‘uwai lives on and on Fly ‘Io, fly Spreading your wings kilakila  Touching the skies, touching our souls You’re here by my side ‘Io she sits by Akua’s side Singing himene and singing out loud Fly ‘Io, fly Spreading your wings kilakila Touching the skies, touching our souls You’re here by my side Fly ‘Io, fly Spreading your wings kilakila  Touching the skies, touching our souls You’re here by my side My side… Whoa ‘Io, fly Whoa As far as me evolving as an artist, I don’t quite  look at it that way.

I just like learning new   things all the time.

That’s what gets me  up in the morning.

My foundation actually   is more of a spiritual thing, being that I  understand what my gift is, and it’s from a   higher source.

I really believe Ke Akua gave me  this.

And He gave me this one important thing,   which is taking care of my family.

And that’s all  I look at it as.

Whether I’m sharing something   bigger than myself, making people happy  with whatever I write, songs and whatnot,   then awesome.

Because then, that means I  know that God’s using me a positive way.

Ua pau i ka lani o Hawaiʻi Ai ʻau au kai ka moana Ua ʻike au I ka luiluli o ka niu Ā ʻike ka makani ʻoluʻolu Me kuʻu one hānau ē Ua lohe au i nā mele O ka wā ka i kō la Ua ʻai au i kēhau o pikake Ma ka pō ʻoluʻolu o ka o wā Me kuʻu one hānau ē Aloha kuʻu home of Hawaiʻi Mahalo nui ke Akua Aloha kuʻu home o Hawaiʻi ʻIa pā kāhea iaʻu la U alae a nui au ma ke Koʻolau Ai lohe wale koʻo i no la Ua ʻike au i ke aloha o nā kānaka Ke hemolele a laila Me kuʻu one hānau ē Aloha kuʻu home of Hawaiʻi Mahalo nui ke Akua Aloha kuʻu home o Hawaiʻi ʻIa pā kāhea iaʻu la Haʻina ʻia mai ka puana Aloha kuʻu home o Hawaiʻi ʻIa pā kāhea iaʻu ea Ke hemolele a Laila Me kuʻu one hānau ē Me kuʻu one hānau ē Me kuʻu one hānau ē