We are incredibly excited to be nominated as the “Most Promising Artists of 2008” at this year’s Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards.  Because of this, we have made music available for your listening convenience. To better understand our musical choices, we have included the liner notes for you to catch a glimpse into our artistry and to share how we became inspired by these songs.

E NANI E

Composed by Gertrude Ka‘ahapu

Arranged by Chadwick Pang

Flirtatious, playful, and cheeky is how I would describe this mele (song).  The combination of the lyrics and the bouncy melodic line put a spring in my step and a smile on my face every time I sing it. There is nothing bashful about it. My favorite line is “He aloha ka mea nui, kē hiki mai hiki mai.”  Which I interpret as “this thing we’re feeling, yeah…you and me, baby. This is it! Let’s hook up while we can!”…Whoa, can I say that?  – Chadwick Pang

PALISA

Composer Unknown

Arranged by Rosanna Perch & Chadwick Pang

This mele traces a voyage across the world in a hot air balloon. Although the original text mentions many cities, I chose to focus on those about Paris (Palisa) because I studied in Paris in 2005 and caught a glimpse of why Paris has been a European center of art, music and all things haute couture. The city captured my heart and imagination, just as it did a certain Hawaiian boy living with Hansen’s disease in the early 20^th century. The boy composed this song after viewing the moving picture “Around the World in 80 Days.”  – Rosanna Perch

PUA MAE‘OLE

Composed by John “Squeeze” Kamana

Arranged by Chadwick Pang

This song tenderly expresses the composer's love for his daughter Kananipuamae‘ole, whom he watched grow into a beautiful young woman. She has blossomed and matured, but, as her name describes, she is a “flower that will never fade” (pua mae‘ole). This mele is unforgettable to me because of its lovely melody, and because it is the very first Hawaiian song I learned.  – Mamina Koga

BENEATH THE MĀORI MOON

Composed by Walter Smith

Arranged by Sophronia Smith and Chadwick Pang

My great-great-grand uncle, Walter Smith, penned the words and music to this jazzy love song. He wrote this song for George Nepia, his nephew, who later became a famous fullback in the New Zealand All Blacks and Māori All Black rugby teams. My grandmother, the late Rebecca Smith, a renowned soprano in New Zealand, sung the first recording of this song. I chose to sing this song to pay homage to their contribution to the music world and to thank them for passing on to me, a deep love for music.  – Sophronia Smith

E KOA‘E Ē

Composed by Mary Kawena Pukui and Maddy Lam

Arranged by Justin Ka‘upu and Rosanna Perch

I learned this mele to accompany Hālau Hula O Nā Mele ‘Āina of Hawai‘i, a hula school in New York City. “E Koa‘e Ē” was one of the songs they performed at the World Hula Invitational Hula Festival in November 2007. The poetry honors the koa‘e, a white bosomed seabird, which glides and nests upon the ocean cliffs. The koa‘e is recognized for its fishing skills and renowned for its long white tail feathers, which were used to adorn kāhili, the symbol of Hawaiian nobility. I love throwing a fast moving bass line under the song’s upbeat melody, creating a fun foxtrot-feel.  – Justin Ka‘upu

U‘ILANI

Composed by Lena Machado

Arranged by Chadwick Pang

Lena Machado wrote this song for a newborn child of close friends. The lyrics express the loving adoration and wonderment her friends felt for their child. We kept the form and arrangement similar to the old recording, amazed by the original’s ability to emote a playful lullaby. The way the melody is echoed in harmony by the other voices creates the feel of adults swooning and doting on a beautiful baby. This beautiful falsetto song is very challenging to sing because of its wide range and melodic leaps. That is also why I love this it so much. – Mamina Koga 

TE ATAIRANGIKAAHU

Composed by Sophronia Smith

Arranged by Sophronia Smith and Rosanna Perch

In 2006, the Maori Queen Te Atairaangikaahu slipped silently on to the other side of the veil.  Her life and her work deeply impacted me.  She is a role model of peaceful leadership for today’s Māori woman.  The Māori Queen is also a role model for contemporary Māori leaders who are faced with complex issues in the world we live in today. I wrote this song to celebrate her life that was devoted to the progress of her Waikato people and Te Iwi Māori. – Sophronia Smith                                                                                 

KA UA LOKU

Composed by Alfred Alohikea

Arranged by Justin Ka‘upu and Chadwick Pang

 “Ka Ua Loku” (The Torrential Rain) speaks of the rains of Hanalei, Kaua'i. It contains hints of kaona (layered meanings) that suggest a love interest has left. After visiting Kaua‘i for the first time in the summer of 2006, I finally understood why so many songs have been written about that island. I fell in love with its pristine beaches and the renowned beauty of Hanalei. Also, like “E Koa'e Ē,” I love this song because of the many chord changes that jump in and out of the key, allowing the bass line to chromatically “walk” from chord to chord.  – Justin Ka‘upu

MANU ‘Ō‘Ō

Composer Unknown

Arranged by Chadwick Pang

The manu ‘ō‘ō, a rare bird species with regal appearance, and the lehua blossom, a fluffy, delicate, red bloom, are just two enticing images presented in this song.  A brief view of the translation hints at the double entendre or kaona, as we say in Hawaiian, hidden with the text. These metaphors suggest a love relationship filled with sensuality.  This beautiful love song is one of the first songs I can remember learning simply for the joy of singing and making music with friends.  I cherish its heart-felt emotion and long, flowing melodic lines.  –  Rosanna Perch

MĀNOA TE MANU

Composed by Francois Gilmore, Jane Freeman Moulin & Chadwick Pang

Arranged by Chadwick Pang and Justin Ka‘upu

“Mānoa Te Manu” literally Bird of Mānoa, describes a journey from Hawai‘i to the Marquesas. It is metaphorically expressed as a bird carrying the Tuahine rain on her back while flying to the island of Fatu Hiva.  The lyrics mention pua‘atai, the name of the composer’s daughter, which is a traditional and powerful technique of weaving a personal relation or experience into poetry. The tempo picks up after the first verse as the bird takes flight.  I’ve incorporated the sound of the maha‘u,the traditional Marquesan pig chant, as the bird nears the Marquesas and the fete in the last verse.  – Chadwick Pang 

ALOHA NŌ

Composed by Lena Machado

Arranged by Chadwick Pang

Though this mele speaks of the composer’s personal longing, many of us have experienced these same feelings of intense desire for another as the song so powerfully depicts. The torment of wanting to be with someone who is far away, sleepless nights filled with endless waiting, and long days spent yearning for the return of a lover’s embrace…the origin of these longings are expressed in a single sentiment: It is love, yes, it is love indeed. – Rosanna Perch

HO‘ONANI KA MAKUA MAU (THE DOXOLOGY)

Composed by Louis Bourgeois

Lyrics by Hiram Bingham (verse1), Haunani Bernardino (verse 2)

Arranged by Chadwick Pang

On October 13^th, 2005, Haunani Bernardino, a Hawaiian language teacher and musician, composed a second verse to “The Doxology.” Inspired by the hymn, she expressed, “My hope was to write four lines that were worthy of the magnificence and grandness of the first verse, while also reflecting a Hawaiian point of view.”  To do so she looked to the natural world: the earth, sky, and the heavens above. 

We sing the first verse unaltered, paying homage to the hymn that has comforted so many Hawaiian Christians. I arranged the second verse in a contemporary choral style using “tone painting.” The technique allowed the music to mimic the literal meaning of the text. For example, when we sing about the ‘stars,’ all the voices ascend to a single note. When we sing about the ‘splendors of the universe,’ all the voices cascade down into colorful harmonies.  – Chadwick Pang