Ua lohe mua paha ʻoe i kona leo nahenahe ma ka lekiō, a i ʻole ua kamaʻāina paha ʻoe i kona maka ma o ke kūlelepaho ʻoiai ʻakahi a hoʻohanohano ʻia ʻo ia ma ka Grammys no kāna pā sēdē mua loa, ʻo “E Walea”. ʻO Kalani Peʻa nō hoʻi ia. A ua hoʻohanohano hou ʻia ʻo ia ma ka hale ʻahaʻōlelo o Hawaiʻi nei no ua lanakila hoʻokahi a ma ke ʻano nui, no kāna paʻu mau ʻana ma ka hoʻōla ʻōlelo a moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi.
You’ve probably heard his sweet voice on the radio or you probably recognize his name and face from the posts that are flooding social media about his recent Grammy award winning debut album, “E Walea”. He is none other than Kalani Peʻa and was recently recognized by the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives for all of his accomplishments, accolades, and efforts to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture.
“He mea kēia e hoʻohanohano ai i ko kākou mau kūpuna, ko mākou ʻohana, ma waho o kuʻu ʻohana Peʻa, nā ʻohana a pau, ko kākou lāhui Hawaiʻi. Ma o ka haku mele Hawaiʻi au i aʻo ai i nā moʻolelo, nā moʻokūʻauhau, nā moʻomeheu a pēlā nō kā kākou ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi!”
This (triumph) brings honor to our ancestors, our families, including my immediate ʻohana and our larger Hawaiian nation because it is through Hawaiian music that I learned our stories, our genealogies, our traditions and our Hawaiian language.
He kupa ʻo Peʻa no Hilo, Hawaiʻi mai ka ʻāina pulapula hoʻi o Keaukaha, a he haumāna puka ʻo ia o ka papahana hōʻola ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
Peʻa comes from Hilo, Hawaiʻi and more specifically from the homestead of Keaukaha. He is also a graduate of Hawaiian language immersion program.
“He mea waiwai loa kēia iaʻu. Pōmaikaʻi au i ke komo ʻana i kēia papahana kaiapuni ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a puka ma ka makahiki 2001, ka papa ʻekolu o Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu hoʻi. Kū haʻaheo au, kū wiwoʻole au no ka lāhui no ka mea hoʻohiwahiwa wau i ka inoa o koʻu mau kūpuna, nā kumu i kūpaʻa mau a mau nō ke kūpaʻa ʻana, me nā ʻohana kaiapuni.”
I am so blessed to have gone through the Hawaiian language immersion program and to be a part of the third graduating class of Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu in the year 2001. I stand with pride and courage for our people because I carry the names of my ancestors, my teachers and all of the families who continue to strive for our Hawaiian language to thrive.
No Peʻa, kai wali i ka ʻōlelo, he mau manaʻo ko “E Walea”.
His understanding of the Hawaiian language brings about more than one meaning for his album “E Walea”.
“ʻO kuʻu lawena nō hoʻi ia! ʻO ka manaʻo o ‘walea’ ʻo ia ka nānea, ka hui pū a nānea ma loko nō o ka pūolo mele, ma loko o ka lāhui kānaka.”
It’s who I am! The meaning of “walea” is to engage and enjoy; for me that means to enjoy the music world and to engage with my people.
A iā ia i kū like ai me kona ʻohana ma kona ʻaoʻao, ua moakāka nō ka waiwai o ka launa ʻana me ka poʻe iā ia, keu hoʻi ma ke ʻano kākoʻo i mea e hāpai hou aku ai i ko kākou lāhui, kā kākou ʻōlelo a me nā moʻomeheu hoʻi o Hawaiʻi nei i luna.
While he stood on the House floor with his family by his side, his value of engagement and strong relationships was evident, especially when it comes to elevating our people, our language and our cultural traditions.
“ʻAʻole hiki ke holomua ka papahana kaiapuni inā ʻaʻole komo piha nā ʻohana. Pono ke kaiāulu, pono nā ʻohana, pono kākou e holomua like. ʻAʻole hiki ke paio i kekahi i kekahi, pono kākou e paio like i holomua ka papahana a i ola ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.”
The Hawaiian language immersion program couldn’t have succeeded without the support and efforts put forth by all of its family members. We as a community need to come together and move forward as one. We cannot fight against each other. We need to fight side by side in our own ways so that our Hawaiian language will continue to thrive.
A ʻo ia ka haʻawina nui a Peʻa e makemake ana e hoʻolaha ma o kāna mau mele, kēia haʻawina o ke kūlike a kūpaʻa. A no laila ʻo ia e kūpaʻa ai ma ke ʻano he ʻelele o Hawaiʻi nei ma nā pahuhopu āna e hoʻokō ai.
This is a message that Peʻa hopes to spread through his music as he represents all of Hawaiʻi through all of his endeavors.
“ʻO kaʻu mau pahuhopu hikialoa a hikiapoko, ʻo ia ka hoʻomau ʻana ma loko o ka hoʻonaʻauao ʻana i ko kākou mau ʻohana, ka poʻe a pau o ka ʻōnaeao i ka haku mele Hawaiʻi. E mākaʻikaʻi ana wau a puni ka honua no ka hīmeni ma nā ʻāina like ʻole. Mau nō kaʻu aʻo ʻana ma Kamehameha, makemake au e hoʻomaka ma ka pā sēdē ʻelua ,no laila nui nā pahuhopu hikialoa a hikiapoko, akā ʻo ka pahuhopu nui, ʻo ia ka hoʻokaika ʻana i ke aloha ʻāina ma o nā mele Hawaiʻi.”
My long-term and short-term goals include teaching Hawaiian song composition, teaching at Kamehameha Schools, and releasing a second album. I will also be touring the world to sing in different places. But in all of the long-term and short-term goals that I have, my main goal is to help strengthen the love that we have for our land and each other through Hawaiian music.
A ua ʻike ʻia nō ke ʻano i pā ai ka poʻe i kēia haʻawaina hoʻokahi ona ma o nā mahalo i hoʻopuka ʻia ma kona hoʻohanohano ʻia. E walea aku nō i kāna mau mele a me kāna hana mai kēia mua aku ma ke kele ʻana aku iā kalanipeamusic.com .
He has already begun to touch the lives of those whom have come to know him and his work and it was seen in his honoring ceremony. Enjoy his music and engage in his upcoming endeavors by visiting his website.