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mele 1. nvt. Song, anthem, or chant of any kind;
poem, poetry; to sing, chant
M.K. Pukui and S.H. Ebert, _Hawaiian Dictionary_
(Honolulu, HI.: University of Hawaii Press, 1971), p. 245.
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is an band composed of four very talented people, Ron, Carol, Liko and Toki.
They specialize in playing the Hawaiian gourd drum called the ipu heke. Focus is
concentrated on playing ancient Hawaiian music using instruments such as 'ili'ili and
pahu hula, as well as the ipu heke. The music is often accompanied by
chanting and hula.
Backround of the Hawaiian Mele
Mele is the Hawaiian way of chronicling events, telling stories and recording information.
Mele are used as a form of oral literature, a method of passing on historical facts by
memory with dignity and respect.
There are many different types of mele; the mele inoa (name chants), mele ho'oipoipo
(love songs), mele
(land chant), mele wahi or mele
(place chant), mele hula (chant for a
dance), mele
(praise chant), mele ma'i (sex chant), mele ipo (love chant), mele pa'ani
(play chant), mele ka'i (entrance chant) and mele ho'i (exit chant).
Sometimes mele are accompanied by hula, Hawaiian dances that interpret the chants using
movement and gestures.
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since November 16, 1999
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Last updated: January 5, 2004
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