Keali`i Reichel: Voice of an Angel: Chapter 1: The Very Beginning

Click on the underlined words to get to the translations.

We are each of us angels with but one wing.
And we can only fly embracing each other."
~ Luciano de Crescenzo

Saturday, March 16, 1996

I listen to Pila's even breathing. Wishing not to rouse Pila out of his deep slumber, I gingerly lift the bedcovers to reach for my Walkman. His breathing remains even. Click. Keali`i Reichel's voice sings:

"Nou e Kawaipunahele,
ku`u lei aloha mae`ole..."

I drift into reverie. Ah, tonight we will be hearing those words LIVE!

A fleeting moment of reflection...could it be that only three months ago Keali'i Reichel was an unknown entity to me? My sister Mâlie from Kula, Maui had sent us his CD, his first release, six months ago. Immersed in work and ignorant of the beauty within it, I set it aside, promising myself to listen to it as soon as the time to get away, relax, and unwind arose. This time did not materialize until Christmas, three months later.

Click on the CD

I was enraptured.

I instantly recognized KAWAIPUNAHELE as an inspired creation, one of the heart, mind and spirit. Bach's baroque compositions, Emily Dickinson's evocative poetry, and Thoreau's transcendental writing deeply affect me on all three levels, and so does this work, by this mystery Mauian.

For me, listening to it was a distinct wake-up call. E ala e! A switch was clicked on, and ever since, the light from within has been dazzling.

That week, six island families, from San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, and "The Valley", including our best friends from O`ahu, Wayne and Lynn, gathered at a mountain retreat for a white Christmas. Wayne and Lynn, soft-rock listeners of "The Wave," had heard of him, but knew precious little about this mystery Mauian; the rest, like us, expatriates from Hawai`i for too many years, had never heard of this man with the beautiful voice.

The CD cartridge was loaded with Christmas music, but whenever KAWAIPUNAHELE played, someone would inevitably hit the repeat button. KAWAIPUNAHELE was played countless times, as its music kept speaking to our island hearts and souls, "transporting" us back to Hawai`i.

Just outside the windows were classic winter scene reminders that we were far away from home: a winter wonderland landscape, snow-flocked pine trees, snowmen in the front yard, and icicles hanging from the eaves. But as KAWAIPUNAHELE played on, in our hearts, we were home for Christmas, home, as in Hawai`i Nei.

Synchronicities began to abound immediately. To facilitate work-related communications, I'd just procured a laptop computer and signed on to an Internet service. Christmas Day, with KAWAIPUNAHELE playing, my hânai ("adopted") nephew taught me how to explore and navigate the Internet. Although the `Net seemed 2001-ish and daunting, I marveled at its possibilities. He was patient; and I, persevering.

Two weeks later, I chanced upon Compuserve's Hawai`i Forum. There, I found posts on the "message board", that discussed "our" mystery singer. I say "our" because, by that time, we had been playing Keali`i's CD often enough, that he was beginning to feel like part of our `ohana! I soon learned that mine was not an isolated enthrallment. I posted my first message on the `Net :

Does anyone know if, when, and where
will Keali`i Reichel be performing in our area?

That one message instigated a flurry of messages from Hawaiians, Hawaiians-at-heart, and those in love with Hawai`i and its music. I had stumbled upon an " `ohana" in cyberspace, of "cuzzes, brahdahs, titas, uncles and aunties" from Hawai`i to the East Coast, and they were just as enthusiastic about Keali`i's music. We exchanged impressions, and goodness, how we waxed rhapsodic!

Two in particular, Seestah Judy and Craig (A.K.A., Bruddah Bu), enthusiastically shared their experiences at a Keali`i concert in Santa Clara with exquisite detail, further peaking our interest. I was able to share some information I had gleaned from a local magazine, which gave us further insight on the man.

Warned about Internet "kooks and predators", I used an on-line pseudonym, Aunty, spelled with a "y" for good luck. In reality, my pseudonym is exactly who I am. I am "Aunty" to our godchildren, nieces and nephews.

A few weeks later, my dear, thoughtful mother-in-law in Hilo sent us Lei HALI`A, Keali`i's second release.

Click on the CD

Again, a powerful first impression! With lush Honolulu Symphony orchestral sounds and Ho`okena, a group known for its nahenahe harmonies backing Keali`i's distinctive voice, the title song is sheer beauty. To all of that, add evocative lyrics by Hawaiian language authority, Puakea Nogelmeier and lush engineering by Jim Linkner, Lei Hali'a is beyond stunning; it is utterly chiiiicken skeeeen!

Now, if that wasn't enough to take my breath away. I turned over the CD to read the credits, when a photograph of an ample, kind-faced Hawaiian woman, selling lei, startled me. I couldn't believe my eyes. The woman in the photograph bore a striking resemblance to my Aunty `Âlana, who watched over me during my pre-school years.

Those are a child's most impressionable years and Aunty `Âlana deeply impressed me. She imbued me with her strong Hawaiian values, while lavishing me with hugs and kisses. Generous, warm, and loving, she was The Aloha Spirit personified.

Thus, when one of my new cyber-friends made a chauvinistic crack, I spontaneously assumed Aunty `Âlana's persona. In jest, I threatened to sit on and squish him, the same innocent threat used by my Aunty `Âlana to keep us kids in line. "When I saw the picture of the woman on the back of the LEI HALI`A CD," I said, "I thought I was looking in a mirror. Start running."

On Valentine's Day, I was not feeling well. A wellness-believer, I had not missed work in years; unaccustomed to being idle, I attempted to complete a report on my laptop. Unable to concentrate, I checked in the forum for messages. There it was, waiting, in my In Box:

A message from Keali`i Reichel!

He'd just returned to Maui from a performance. As a subscriber to the same Internet service and forum, he had checked the message board. He was surprised to read our paeans of praise. Sounding kind and down-to-earth, he expressed his mahalo, for supporting Hawaiian music:

"Your words and others whom I've read here tonight, give us more inspiration, strength, and purpose in what we seek to accomplish - 'cause sometimes hard to keep going!"

Keali`i especially endeared himself to me by writing in pidgin, the island English dialect which is my first language, as well as liberally seasoning his note with Hawaiian words of my childhood: Pehea `oe?, kua `âina, , maha`oi, mahalo, mahalo, mahalo palena `ole, , Hiki?, hiamoe, and a hui hou.

He closed his note saying, "I like put one face to this name (Aunty) and maybe connect. Hiki?"

And so it was to be. A page in my life was turned, and thus began a new chapter.

`A`ole i pau

>> Ua ho`omau ka mo`olelo...The saga continues

GLOSSARY
Kinohi Loa [kee noh' hee loh (w)ah]	The Very Beginning	Back
Pila [pee' lah] Allow me to introduce you to my guitar-playing husband, Pila. Kanikapila! " (lit., Sound the instrument; fig., Let's play music!) is one of his favorite words! Pila is aptly named.	Pila is the Hawaiian transliteration of his middle name, Bill. My husband was named after his Grandpa Bill ("not William, it's just Bill"), who shared his love for Hawaiian guitar music with his grandson. In Hawaiian, pila means "any stringed instrument."	Back
Keali`i [keh (y)ah lee' ee] A leader with a consciousness and conscience, Keali`i is aptly named.	Ke = The ali`i = chief, ruler, noble, aristocrat, regal, kingly, royal	Back
"Nou e Kawaipunahele, ku`u lei aloha mae `ole..."	"For you, Kawaipunahele, my beloved never fading lei (garland) ..."	Back
Mâlie [MAH' lee (y)eh] Mâlie, my precious sister, is my refuge in life's storms. I think of her, and I am calmed. She is my safe, calm harbor. She lives her name.	Mâlie is the Hawaiian transliteration of my sister's middle name, Marie. In Hawaiian, mâlie means "calm, quiet, pacific, still, tranquil, gentle."	Back
Kula, Maui [koo' lah mau' (w)ee] God falls in New England, winters in Yosemite Valley, springs in Big Bear, and summers in Kula. Truly, God's Country.	Kula means plain, located in "upcountry" Maui, on the slopes of Haleakalâ. Maui is one of the eight major islands; it is thought to be named after the demigod, Mâui.	Back
Kawaipunahele [kah vai' poo' nah heh' leh] This song possesses deep personal significance. I shall always be indebted to its inspiration for helping me find my way home, to my favorite waters.	Ka = the wai = water punahele = favorite This song is a mele inoa (name song), written to honor a very special loved one.	Back
E ala e! [eh (y)ah lah (y)eh !]	Wake up!	Back
O`ahu [oh ah' hoo]	Most populous of the Hawaiian Islands. Honolulu is the major city and capital. `Ahu means garment.	Back
Hawai`i nei [hah wai' ee nei'] [hah vai' ee nei'] We refer to our homeland thusly, even if we are thousands of miles away. Our hearts remain in Hawai`i, and "home is where the heart is."	Fig., beloved Hawai`i; lit., Hawai`i here. A Hawai'i-born's affectionate way of referring to his/her homeland.	Back
`ohana [oh hah' nah] In true Hawaiian fashion, our family extends beyond the one we were born into.	family, relative, kin group, related.	Back
Hilo [hee' loh] Hilo is known for its green verdure, brilliantly-colored orchids, friendly folks, and rain. It is one hânau (lit., birth sands; fig., birthplace) for both Pila and me.	City on the Big Island (Island of Hawai`i). Perhaps named for the first night of the new moon.	Back
Lei Hali`a [lei' hah lee' ah] I love music, yet, my favorite songs are few. This is one of them. Beautifully written by Puakea (white flower) Nogelmeier, my kumu aloha (beloved teacher) of the Hawaiian language, it is entrancing, stirring up vivid recollections and evoking life-altering premonitions.	Lei = lit., garland, wreath, necklace of flowers, leaves, shells, feathers, ivory or paper; fig., sweetheart, beloved child, wife, husband. Hali`a =sudden remembrance, memory, esp., of a loved one; fond recollection; premonition.	Back
Ho`okena [hoh' oh keh' nah] One of my most ethereal musical experiences: watching Nani Dudoit, their exquisitely beautiful hula dancer, dancing to their soaring melodies.	To quench one's thirst. I am a lush for Ho`okena's music. We play their music often, and yet, we remain unquenched. They are THAT good.	Back
nahenahe [nah' heh nah' heh]	sweet, melodious, mellow	Back
`Âlana [AH' lah nah]	Free-will offering	Back
mahalo [mah hah' loh] In my estimation, mahalo is one of the two of the most powerful and spiritual words in the Hawaiian language. The other is Aloha.	thanks, gratitude; to thank; admiration, praise, esteem, regards, respects, appreciation.	Back
Pehea `oe? [peh heh' (y)ah oe']	How (are) you? The usual answer is "Maika`i. A `o `oe?" [mai' kah ee ah' oh oe'] "Fine. And you?"	Back
kua `âina [koo' ah AI' nah] Country-raised and grateful for it, I love all that is rustic, rural, and country. I was so pleased when Keali`i wrote that he was kua `âina.	country, as distinct from the city, countryside; person from the country, rustic.	Back
maha`oi [mah hah oi'] In Hawaiian thinking, a most undesirable way of being. What is Hawaiian style? Humility, devotion to family and friends, humility, gratitude, humility, respect, humility, and sensitivity to Hawai`i's history, diverse cultures and peoples. Did I mention humility?	Bold, impertinent, impudent, insolent, nervy, cheeky, rude, forward, saucy, brazen. Lit., sharp temple. Descriptive of one who does not know his/her place in the scheme of things, and who will never fit in, at least not in Hawai`i. Maha`oi is the opposite of ha`aha`a (being humble, having humility).	Back
mahalo, mahalo, mahalo palena `ole [mah hah' loh, mah hah' loh, mah hah' loh pah leh' nah oh' leh]	mahalo (see previous explanation) palena = boundary `ole = without palena `ole = without boundaries, without limit	Back
hiki [hee' kee]	can, may; to be able; ability; possible	Back
hiamoe [hee (y)ah moe']	to go to sleep	Back
a hui hou [a hui' hou']	till (we) meet again	Back
`a`ole i pau [ah oh' leh (y)ee pau']	not done	Back
Ua mau ka mo`olelo... [oo' (w)ah mau' kah moh' oh leh' loh]	The saga continues...	Back