ʻAuhea ʻoukou e ka poʻe makeʻe mele Hawaiʻi! Pōmaikaʻi maoli kākou i ke pā sēdē hou ʻo “I Leʻa” i hoʻopuka ʻia mai nei e ka hui hīmeni ʻo Keauhou. Kaulana nō ua hui hīmeni nei ma muli o ko lākou mau leo nahenahe, ko lākou hana maiau, ko lākou ʻimi naʻauao, a me ko lākou aloha nui i ke mele Hawaiʻi.

Welina e kuʻu mea heluhelu. He ʻāina nani nō ʻo Iāpana, akā, he ʻano pōhihi no neia malihini, ʻo ia hoʻi ka mea kākau. I kekahi kauwela, ua huakaʻi aku nō māua me koʻu hoa hana i Iāpana no ka hālāwai pū ʻana mai me ko māua hoa pāʻoihana. ʻO ia kaʻu manawa mua i kipa ai i Iāpana a nui nā mea hūʻeu i kupu wale.

I nā hulina hema o Maui, aia kahi moku liʻiliʻi ʻo Honuaʻula. ʻO ia nō kahi nona kēia moʻolelo.

ʻO Waikomo ka inoa o ʻelua mau mea, ʻo ia hoʻi kekahi kahawai i Kauaʻi, a me kekahi kalaka kūʻai haukōhi ma Maui. He aha ka pilina o ia mau mea?

E nā hoa mākaʻikaʻi o ka honua nei puni i nā ʻano nani like ʻole o ka ʻāina, aloha nō. Ma ka lā 15 o Mei haʻalele māua ʻo koʻu ʻohana iā Oʻahu e hele ai i Nūioka.

ʻAuhea wale ana ʻoukou e nā maka heluhelu o Ka Ulu Hoi. Eia kou wahi mea kākau ke waiho nei i wailau i mua o ʻoukou i mea e nui puʻipuʻi ai ko ʻoukou wahi ʻōpū. ʻO ke ʻano o nēia wailau, he haʻi hou ia i kekahi kaʻao mai ka ʻāina ʻē i kamaʻāina paha iā ʻoukou. E hahai kākou i ka huakaʻi a kekahi kaikamahine nona ka inoa ʻo Leilani a me kāna ʻīlio, me Mele, e ʻimi i ala e hoʻi hou ai i ko lāua kūlanakauhale aloha nui ʻia, ʻoiai ʻaʻohe wahi i kū like ai me ka home aloha.

E halalē! E halalē! He keu a ka ʻono. ʻO ka ʻono o ka mea ʻai, ʻo ia ka mea e hoʻohaliʻa ai i ka hale ʻaina a kākou e pāʻina ai. I koʻu ʻike ʻana, ʻo ke kaimine, ʻo ia ka meaʻai kū hoʻokahi a puni ʻo Hawaiʻi!

ʻO nā mele Hawaiʻi, ʻaʻohe wahi maoli e hele kino ai a nanea i ka hoʻolohe i kona hoʻokani a hīmeni ʻia i kēia mau lā ma muli o ka maʻi ahulau Korona. ʻAʻohe hale ʻaina, ʻaʻohe ʻaha mele, ʻaʻohe hoʻolauleʻa, ʻaʻohe nō he wahi e hoʻolohe aku ai i nā puʻukani mele Hawaiʻi. Aia naʻe he hoʻokahi nō wahi i maopopo i kēia mea kākau e mālama ʻia ai kēia loina koʻikoʻi o kākou i kēia mau lā i loko nō o kēia wā maʻi Korona. Aia nō ia i ka laʻi o Kakaʻako ma ka hale inu nona ka inoa ʻo Workplay.

Oia no kai ikeia ma Moanalua nei. I kela me keia po, hiki mai na mu a loheia ka mumuhu o ka lakou lele ana io ianei. Oia no ka wa i ikeia’i he moo e kakali malie ana ma ka aoao. I nana aku ka hana, he eha mau moo ma ka puka aniani. A lele mai la kahi mu, aole i liuliu, paa ia mea ino i ka waha o kekahi moo, a pau ka mumuhu, o ka muka wale no ke kani i loheia.