Alice namakelua biography
- "Auntie" Alice Kuʻuleialohapoʻinaʻole Kanakaoluna Nāmakelua was a Hawaiian composer and performer.
- Alice Kuʻuleialohapoʻinaʻole Kanakaoluna Nāmakelua (1892–1987) was a Hawaiian composer and performer.
- She taught music, hula and lei making to thousands of young people and many of her compositions, which totaled 180, were written for children.
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Alice Ku`uleialohapoina`ole Namakelua was born August 12, 1892. How do we come to grips with how long ago this really is? To give us some perspective, Alice was once a servant in the kitchen of Queen Lili`uokalani. But this is not what she is remembered for… Auntie Alice was many things to many people as she was in her time arguably the most important keeper of knowledge and understanding of the ways of a Hawai`i long forgotten by almost everybody else - because she was there. And she lived a purposeful life of sharing her history – Hawai`i’s history – with all of those who cared to listen and perpetuate. There are many “Alices” in Hawai`i’s history. But everybody knows who you mean when you say “Auntie Alice.” There was only one. And if you were a young musician in the 1960s or 70s, whether or not you were formally under her tutelage, you were scolded by her at least once. And this was, they say, the greatest lesson you could ever receive. Ask Robert and Roland Cazimero who have on many occasions lovingly recounted the hard
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Ku’uleialohapoina’ole Kanakaoluna was born on August 12, 1892 in Honoka’a, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
In school, her teacher, who could not pronounce her Hawaiian name, dubbed the young girl, “Alice”.
As a child, she was raised to sing, and play the slack key and steel guitars.
Moving to Honolulu in 1927, she eventually joined the Honolulu Parks Department, where she would educate generations of keiki.
We lost Auntie Alice on April 27, 1987, at the age of 94.
Happily, Hula Records released a solo LP of Alice singing her own compositions in 1974.
Today, we’ll listen to that rare 1974 out-of-print recording from the Territorial Airwaves archives.
This week's playlist:
1- Waipi’o Paka’alana – Alice Namakelua
2- Aloha Ko’olau - Alice Namakelua
3- Mahina Kau Ahiahi - Alice Namakelua
4- Nalo Meli - Alice Namakelua
5- Ka Manu - Alice Namakelua
6- Olohena - Alice Namakelua
7- Waimea Ku’u One Hanau - Alice Namakelua
8- Ka’ahumanu - Alice Namakelua
9- Kamokila - Alice Namakelua
10- Halemanu - Alice Namakelua
Length: 51:53
Release
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Alice nāmakelua
Mānaleo Series
These short clips of native speakers on Ka Leo Hawaiʻi talking about their lives and practices are invaluable windows into our past, our language, and ourselves. Our mahalo kūhohonu goes out to Larry Kimura and Puakea Nogelmeier for their foresight in preserving the voices of these hulu kupuna.
Listen and read along:
1. Press play on the video below (ensure volume is up).
2. Scroll down and read along in the language of your choice.
3. Repeat as needed.
*Mobile users: Touch the video two times for the button on the upper left and minimize the window to listen and read at the same time.
Alice Nāmakelua talks about the song she composed for her homeland: Waimea Kuʻu One Hānau
Larry Kimura: Pehea i kēia manawa, mau nō kāu haku mele ʻana?
Alice Nāmakelua: ʻAe. Ke haku nei nō au i nā mele i kēia mau mahina ihola nō a loaʻa nō iaʻu kekahi mau mele, e kali ana au i koʻu, a, kōko
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