Place of Music in Hawaiian Culture
Both oli come from the Island of Hawai'i. They are are known as general knowledge on the Island, and are performed frequently.
Music as an oral record
Music is the very fabric of Hawaiian culture. While there is no word that translates to ‘music’, it is clearly rooted in the chants of Hawaii. Hawaiian history was an oral history, recorded in chants and genealogies which were memorized and passed down. Without a written language, these chants were the only available method of ensuring accuracy. These chants told many stories of creation and mythology, and of significant events and people, particularly when paired with the mimetic dance of hula. Often this ritualistic song and dance would be guided by a small orchestra of gourds, stone castanets, feathered rattles, and bamboo sticks. The melody remained firmly in the chants, the vocals, while instruments provided pace and rhythm. Oli was an integral part of ancient Hawaiian society. With the arrival of immigrants and missionaries came new instruments and ways of playing them – European missionaries brought Christian hymns, while the Portuguese and Spanish brought guitars and the cavaquinho, the precursor to the ukulele.
Giving power to words
In Hawaiian culture, there is the belief that language possesses mana, or “power derived from a spiritual source”, particularly when delivered through oli (chant). Skillful manipulation of language by haku mele (composers) and chanters was of utmost importance. As such, words always have more than one meaning, causing people to create different interpretation depending on their familiarity with the context. This weaving of double-meaning is called kaona. The use of kaona enabled Hawaiians to compose mele that sounded plain and innocent, while carrying deeper meaning hidden from American missionaries.
In Hawaiian culture, there is the belief that language possesses mana, or “power derived from a spiritual source”, particularly when delivered through oli (chant). Skillful manipulation of language by haku mele (composers) and chanters was of utmost importance. As such, words always have more than one meaning, causing people to create different interpretation depending on their familiarity with the context. This weaving of double-meaning is called kaona. The use of kaona enabled Hawaiians to compose mele that sounded plain and innocent, while carrying deeper meaning hidden from American missionaries.
A wide variety of chants for a wide variety of purposes
Traditional chant types are extremely varied, covering a broad range of specific functions. Mele is translated as song or poetry. Hula refers to chant with dance, and oli refers to chant without dance. These are two styles in which mele can be used or performed. All mele may be performed as oli (chant without dance), but only certain types of chants can be performed as hula (chant with dance). Voice style and technique in performing mele is crucial to understanding the function of the chant. The context of the performance, and whether it is being performed as oli or hula will influence the vocal style used. Mele Kāhea is a particular kind of chant usually associated with hālau hula (hula schools) used by the haumana (student) to ask permission to enter the hālau. It is also used when asking for permission, before joining a ceremony, or requesting something from the ancestors or a person. Olioli is a style many would liken to song, as it is melodic in nature and includes sustained pitches, often with ‘i’i, or vibrato of the voice thats hold vowel tones at the ends of lines. We see this used in E Hō Mai and Oli Mahalo. Mele are taught by teachers, known as ‘kumu’.