When she recorded this album in 1979, at the age of 66, she was already a great-grandmother...not the usual profile of a recording artist. But then, "Aunty" Edith Kanaka‘ole was an extraordinary kupuna (elder) and a truly Renaissance woman. Her expertise in the field of ancient Hawaiian chant and dance, highly regarded. As she herself once said, "Most people think of me as a chanter, but I've been singing all my life." She had also been composing songs all her life – and indeed there are some five dozen to her credit. "Aunty" Edith's song "Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai" (The Plants of the Sea) is now a mandatory dance number for contemporary hula dancers and this recording demostrates why the song – and its composer – are so loved. The album won the coveted Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Best Traditional Album in 1980. Original and updated liner notes are included, as are Hawaiian lyrics and their translations.
Album Tracks:
(press play to hear samples)
