Songbird of Hawaii

One of Hawaiis legendary singers, Lena Machado is considered one of the most important influences, ever, on Hawaiian music. What is unique about Lena Machado is that she was both a singer and composer, par excellence. For students of Hawaiian language, composition, or music, the importance of her work cannot be underestimated: her songwriting encompasses fundamentals of traditional poetic construction and contains essential aspects of Hawaiian language mastery rarely explained in texts. Any lover of Hawaiian music can be easily swept away by her lilting soprano voice, while those who appreciate the nuances of Hawaiian poetry are captivated by her depictions of lifes most intimate and humorous circumstances. However, when both the musical and poetical spheres are in perfect alignment, as they are in Machados compositions, we are at once taken to a place of artistic perfection. Lena recorded albums for Victor, Columbia, Brunswick, and Decca and earned the title of Hawaiis Songbird in a career that spanned fifty years. She wrote both the music and lyrics for some of Hawaiian musics most recognized songs. Her compositions include: E Kuu Baby Hot Cha Cha , Ei Nei , Holo Waapa , Kauhoa Mai (Keyhole Hula) , Moanikealaonapuamakahikina , and some are published here for the first time. This songbook includes sheet music for thirty songs, Hawaiian and English lyrics with extensive footnotes, over sixty images, and historical and biographical information for each song. Published by Kaiwakiloumoku, a Hawaiian cultural activities office at Kamehameha Schools, a portion of the proceeds will support the Haku Mele scholarship fund which is administered by the Ke Alii Pauahi Foundation. The scholarship was established in 1993 by Piolani Motta to promote Hawaiian musical composition among youth.