Edited by Nicholas Keali‘i Lum and Zachary Alaka‘i Lum
From the fabled ‘ulu shade of Lele, to the gray cliffs of Kā‘anapali, and the icy waters of ‘Īao, you have arrived (at least metaphorically) in West Maui. With this book of mele, containing lyrics translations and musical notations of more than eighty of the most beloved songs about this celebrated area, you are also located at the intersection of Hawaiian-language poetry and vocal delivery. Mele, those capsules of artfully compressed and embedded knowledge, carry stories of place, time, and people—in this case, those belonging to the ‘āina of the West Maui mountains. And when mele are taken beyond the page and onto your tongue, you—your thoughts, emotions, and experiences—are woven into the mele itself, and there is life.
Published by the North Beach – West Maui Benefit Fund in collaboration with Kamehameha Publishing.
Softcover. 2019. 9 x 12". 252 pp.