Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 12, 1 December 1995 — A film made of words, earth and aloha [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A film made of words, earth and aloha

In Eddie and Myrna Kamae's 1988 film Li'a: The Legacy of A Hawaiian Man, part of the narration reads, "In Hawai'i, a song is a poem made of words and earth." In their latest endeavor, the Kamaes have expanded on this idea and produced an inspirational look at the roots of contemporary Hawaiian music. Words, Earth and Aloha, winner of the Silver Maile Award for best film by a Hawai'i filmmaker at the Hawai'i Intemational Film Festival, is an hour-long

film examining the sources of the island's music and some of the Hawaiian musicians that played an important part in its development. The film notes how before contact with European cultures, Hawaiian music was a ref!ection of what the people heard in nature. When Western missionaries arrived, they introduced different types of music whieh helped Hawaiian musicians explore a larger voice range. Combining interviews, live perfor-

mances, and archival footage, Kamae's film examines how early chant and gospel influences merged and complemented eaeh other in the works of Hawaiian composers between the 1870's and 1920's. Tapping into the knowledge of a number of Hawaiian language and music experts, Words, Earth and Aloha explores the subtleties in Hawaiian language that are expressed in the music written by early composers like Jacob Maka, Alfred Alohikea, and Queen Lili'uokalani. Kamae, a renowned musician himself - praises those musicians whose first language was Hawaiian. "I often wonder where our music eame from. I hear the answer in the songs that still mean the most to me - by composers who not only wrote in Hawaiian, they thought in Hawaiian." In handing out the award, President of the Hawai'i International Film Festival 'Ohana Puehi Romig said "the film Words, Earth and Aloha impressed us with its insight, its sensitivity and its simple beauty." The Kamaes hope to use their film for educational purposes starting at the beginning of the next school year. The plan is to develop a eunieulum guide and break the fīlm into sections discuss the sections individually. In February, every school in the

state will be receiving a copy of the film. Earth Wind and Aloha is scheduled to air on television December 1 at 7 p.m. on KHON Channel 2. For more information on the film and the educational program, contact the Kamaes at The Asian/Pacific Foundation, Hawaiian Division, P.O. Box 8230, Honolulu Hawai'i 96830. Their fax number is 949-7718. /

Musician Clyde Sproat and Words, Earth, and Aloha director Eddie Kamae. Photos by Myrna Kamae

Featured in the film: mana'o of Lilia Hale.