Na T. Ilihia Gionson / Ka Wai Ola Loa

Ma loko nō o ka makana 'ia 'ana aku o nā makana he iwakāluakūmāhia lā ma ka 'aha Nā Hōkū Hanohano o ka lā 9 o Iune, 'o ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i ka lanakila nui.

'O kēia makahiki ka makamua i mālama 'ia he māhele o ia 'aha – kahi i makana 'ia aku nā makana no ka sēdē mele Hawai'i, ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i, a me ka haku mele 'oi kelakela – ma ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i wale nō. No ke anaina nānā kīwī ma ka hale, ua hō'ike 'ia nā lepe unuhi 'ōlelo Pelekānia. A no ke anaina nānā e noho ana ma ka hōkele Sheraton Waikīkī, ua ahuwale ka mana'o o ka po'e ma o ka na'au ma loko nō o ka maopopo 'ole paha i ka 'ōlelo.

He mau maka a he mau leo kama'āina i nā makamaka 'ōlelo Hawai'i nā waha'ōlelo nāna i ho'olauna i nā makana: 'o Manu Boyd 'oe, 'o Puakea Nogelmeier 'oe, 'o Kekoa Harman 'oe, a 'o 'Īleialoha Beniamina 'oe. A no nā hōkū hanohano i eo ai nā makana, ua ho'opuka 'ia ka nui o nā ha'i'ōlelo mahalo ma ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i kekahi.

"He hō'ailona no ka mohala mau 'ana mai o ka ikaika o ko kākou 'ōlelo aloha, aia he 49 mau moho ma ka māhele haku mele i kēia makahiki. 'Oia ka helu nui loa a hiki mai i kēia lā," wahi a Nogelmeier. "He hano hāweo ke kū 'ana i moho no kēia makana, a he mea e ha'aheo ai." Ua eo mua ka makana haku mele iā Nogelmeier ma ka makahiki 1998.

Ua eo ka makana haku mele o kēia makahiki iā 'Iokepa Badis lāua 'o Kellen Paik no ke mele 'o "Uluwehikalunaoka'ala", hīmeni 'ia na Kūpaoa – 'o Līhau Hannahs ho'i lāua 'o Kellen Paik. No ka makana 'ōlelo Hawai'i, ua eo iā Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole no kāna sēdē 'o "Kaumakaiwa".

"Holy moly," wahi a Kanaka'ole. "Mahalo nui kēia… ho'ohanohano 'ana i ko kākou 'ōlelo, ke kilohana, ka nani palena 'ole o ko kākou 'ōlelo makuahine… no kākou kēia. Penei e 'oko'a ai kākou Hawai'i ma ka honua nei."

Ua eo ia makana iā Holunape – 'o Kama Hopkins, 'o Kekoa Kaluhiwa, a 'o Kanai'a Nakamura – no ka sēdē 'o "Āhea? 'Ānō!".

" 'O ka sēdē Hawai'i o ka makahiki kekahi o nā momi i ho'ohihi nui 'ia e nā hanohano leo kani, no ka mea ho'i, ua paepae mua 'ia kona kūlana a ki'eki'e e nā laeo'o o ka wā ma mua, a ma ia kūlana kamaha'o i kau aku ai ho'i ka helu 'ekahi o nā mele ku'una a nā Hawai'i," wahi a Beniamina, he wahine nāna ka hanohano o nā makana Hōkū haku mele he 'ekolu.

"Pono e ho'ohanohano – no ke ola o ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i – iā 'oukou a pau e nā Hawai'i."

By T. Ilihia Gionson / Ka Wai Ola Loa

Even with the twenty-something awards given at the Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards on June 9, the Hawaiian language came away the big winner.

Part of the awards ceremony – where the awards for Hawaiian music, Hawaiian language, and Hawaiian song composition were given – was conducted entirely in Hawaiian. Those watching on television at home had the benefit of English subtitles, but those watching at the Sheraton Waikīkī understood the emotions even without understanding Hawaiian.

The presenters for the special part of the evening were faces and voices well-known in the Hawaiian-speaking community: Manu Boyd, Puakea Nogelmeier, Kekoa Harman, and 'Īleialoha Beniamina. Awardees delivered the bulk of their mahalos in Hawaiian as well.

"It's a sign of the strength of our beloved language that there were 49 nominees for the haku mele award this year. That's the highest number of nominees in the category to date," Nogelmeier said. "It is a distinguished honor to be nominated in this category, something to be proud of." Nogelmeier won a haku mele award in 1998.

This year's haku mele award went to 'Iokepa Badis and Kellen Paik for the song "Uluwehikalunaoka'ala", performed by Kūpaoa – Līhau Hannahs and Kellen Paik. The Hawaiian language performance award went to Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole for his release "Kaumakaiwa".

"Holy moly," Kanaka'ole said. "Thank you for honoring our beloved language, the limitless beauty of our mother tongue… this is ours. This is how we are unique in the world."

The Hawaiian album of the year award went to Holunape – Kama Hopkins, Kekoa Kaluhiwa, and Kanai'a Nakamura – for "Āhea? 'Ānō!".

"The Hawaiian album of the year award is a treasure admired greatly by performers because the bar has been set so high by the masters of the the past. Only the best performers of traditional Hawaiian music have achieved this honor," said Beniamina, herself a three-time Hōkū haku mele awardee.

"This is an honor – the renewed life of the Hawaiian language – for all Hawaiians."