11/13/98

There's been a bit of discussion on the origins of the song Kanaka Waiwai in a.m.h. (alt.music.hawaiian) the past few days. Here's a bit of information I came up with from an interview recorded with John Almeida on November 11, 1973, conducted in Hawaiian by Larry Kimura on the Ka Leo Hawai'i radio show. I just pulled the tape and gave it a listen, this is what I heard:

Aunty Lucy Mikasobe called the show, saying that she had heard that John had written the song "Kanaka Waiwai" and wanted to know if it was true. John replied that he was given the words to the song by someone else (not specified) and that he changed some of the words and composed the melody as we know it today. John used the word "ho'oponopono" to describe what he did to the words, but in the context of his description I think that "change" is a more appropriate description of what he did than "correct" or "fix."

The melody that was used at that time was more of a hula style (he sang a line or two of it in a hula 'auana style, the melody very different from the present version). However, they were going to use it in church, and the priest did not think that style of music was appropriate in church, so John changed the melody to a more "churchy" style, the music that we know today. That would explain why the musical style is so different than most of his compositions.

Another twist: I mention this discussion to one of my co-workers. He said that once he heard someone from Ni'ihau singing a song to himself, and thought it was Kanaka Waiwai. But in listening to the words they were quite different. That person explained to him that it was a song sung in church on Ni'ihau.

I've emailed Ilei Beniamina (a haku mele from Ni'ihau) to find out if she has any insight into this.

My pet theory: Moe's grandfather could quite possibly have written the original song. He or someone else may have given it to John who changed the words and composed the current melody. At a later date the people on Ni'ihau may have taken the new melody and incorporated it into the song that they still to this day perform in church. It may or may not be the same song that Moe's grandfather wrote.

Bottom line is that, at least in this interview, John did not claim to be the author of anything other than the melody of Kanaka Waiwai as we know it now, and to have changed some of the words composed by someone else. I can't think of any reason why he would make up a story like this.

Don't take this to be a definitive answer to the mystery, I may be just filling in a few holes in the legend. Neither am I disputing the contention that Moe Ke'ale's grandfather wrote the song. But perhaps that the current incarnation of the song has a more complex history, and more than one person may have had a hand in molding the song as it is performed today.

Thoughts, anyone?

Keola

This page was last built on 11/13/98 by keola@nahenahe.net

You are visitor since 9/7/96.