Born: Maui, Hawai'i
Hawaiian Chant - Master

"We like to think that we have been a major catalyst in the revival of traditional chant here on Maui. But you don’t do it with that as a goal, you just do your work...put your nose to the grindstone and then, all of a sudden you sit up and you look...wow, we did all this. Great!...let’s do some more."

Chant is alive and well in Hawai'i today. Basically there are two types of Hawaiian chant: Mele oli are recited without instruments or dance. Mele hula are chants that are accompanied by dance. In addition to the ongoing traditional uses of chant, Hawaiian mele is also used in modern music. In Hawaiian chant, words create beautiful images through song, and it is the skill of the chanter that makes the listener feel the power of the chant. With a foundation in Hawaiian words and their meanings, the Hawaiian chanter can create a special world for the listener that, over time, you will learn to appreciate! You can hear in Keali'i Reichel’s award winning CDs the creative use of Hawaiian mele in his compositions. This is a good reminder that traditional poetry can live forever.