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This
has been out of print for a while - IT"S BACK !! This is issue
number 30 of the Pacific Anthropological Records, which is published by
the Department of Anthropology of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu.
It
gives a complete historical perspective of the Hawaiian dance form known
as the hula. The Hawaiians had no writing - their history was entirely
oral. So for the history of the Hula prior to the arrival of Europeans
in Hawai`i, we are entirely reliant on descriptions of the first European
visitors to Hawai`i and on some early accounts written by Hawaiians who
learned to write. Source material is scarce.
When
the missionaries arrived, they were, of course, shocked by the lascivious
hula movements, and quickly made it illegal (in public). Fortunately
for the hula and for all of us, King Kalakaua (1874-1891) loved the hula
and was responsible for a revival that continues today. The annual
hula festival on the Big Island - THE MERRY MONARCH FESTIVAL - honors
his devotion to this art form.
This
book covers all of that, plus lots of information on the Hula Heiau (temple)
on Kaua`i that is still heavily used today. You have to have this
book if you are interested in hula.
This little book contains
the original Hawaiian and the English translations of 101 Hawaiian songs
(words only; no music). Although they are all post-missionary songs
and many of the melodies are based on hymns, very few of the songs are
religious in nature. Hawaiians enjoy writing about love, so 29 of
them are love songs. These songs form a very representative sample
of Hawaiian music from about 1850 to 1968. Many are widely preformed
today. There is an extensive introduction; this book was compiled
by one of the foremost authorities on the Hawaiian language and Ms. Mahoe
is a well-known singer who specializes in native songs. Each song
is also accompanied by an explanation of it's history and meaning.
It's a great introduction to Hawaiian music !!
This is another excellent anthology of Hawaiian music. This collection
covers a somewhat different range than than the collection above, ranging
from song-poems of the very old Pele and Hi`iaka cycle to songs written
in 1893. There are heroic chants celebrating Hawaiian monarchs such
as King Kalakaua as well as common songs for the "common people."
Each song is accompanied by an explanation of it's history. Mary Pukui
is one of Hawaii's most renowned historians (she was born and raised in
the Ka`u district of the Big Island). This book is an excellent
companion to the one above.
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