Pewa: I Ola ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi i Kona Mele ʻia

Abstract

Music has the innate ability to capture listeners, and for this reason, mele Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian song) can be used as an instrument to captivate a modern listening audience with the hope that this leads to an interest in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) itself. However, perhaps the modern ear is not attracted to traditional forms of mele Hawaiʻi, but is intrigued by genres of music that are widely popular today.I created the musical entity “Pewa” with the intention of innovation in mele Hawaiʻi, combining traditional Hawaiian songwriting processes with modern forms of music. This, however, raises the following guiding research question: How does one innovate responsibly within mele Hawaiʻi? To further explore this question, Chapter One begins with an autoethnography to explain my connection to the research topic as a puʻukani (musician) and haku mele (Hawaiian songwriter). Chapter Two analyzes previous literature to form a definition of what mele Hawaiʻi truly is; to document the history of change within mele Hawaiʻi; and to analyze the way in which other native cultures were impacted by innovation in their respective traditional musical forms. Chapter Three explains the research methodology that revolves around innovative songwriting, as well as interviews with highly-respected haku mele who have engaged in innovative songwriting themselves. Chapter Four presents the findings of the research by way of song analysis, as well as analysis of interview responses. My hope is that this research serves as a framework for responsible innovation in other traditional art forms of Hawaiʻi, as well as in traditional art forms of other native cultures seeking linguistic and cultural revitalization.