Written by the Hawaiian poet Liko Martin, this mele is a call for all of us to find our KULEANA, to realize how to interact with it, and ultimately live it… and stand together for the well being of our lahui. Hawaii musicians from all over this pae ‘aina o Hawai’i come together in a show of unity to call us to revitalize our KULEANA…
Project KULEANA was created by three Native Hawaiian men who share the perspective that KULEANA is what makes music Hawaiian. A KULEANA to the ‘āina (land) and our strong ancestral connection to it. Project KULEANA aspires to increase the innate value of Hawaiian music and the performance of it to inspire people to reflect on one’s own KULEANA. Project KULEANA seeks to encourage people to re-discover, re-connect and re-vitalize what Hawaiian music and performers of Hawaiian music represent.
In partnership with Kamehameha Publishing, the first two music videos from Project KULEANA are proudly released featuring mele with resounding significance for our community. “Kaulana Nā Pua,”penned by Ellen Prendergast in 1893 in response to the overthrow of Lili’uokalani and the Hawaiian Kingdom, and “All Hawai’i Stands Together” written by Liko Martin during the cultural re-invigoration of the 1970s, capture the profound relevance of lōkahi (unity), ‘aloha ‘āina (care of and connection to place) and kuleana (individual and collective responsibility) then and now.
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