Composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani and arranged by Eddie Kamae. The song is about the beauty of Hanakeoki and a romantic relationship there. This was a signature song of the Sons of Hawaiʻi, played in nearly every set. The story explains how Eddie loved the Queen’s music and reflects on the distinct sound, look, and approach of the Sons in the 1970s.
Pūʻolo contains
- lyrics and translations
- song story
- educational questions
- music sheets
- bibliography
- resources from Kamae archive
Listen with Lyrics
Watch Video Clips on YouTube and ʻUluʻulu
YouTube videos are documentary clips and full song performances.
ʻUluʻulu videos link to short preview clips from raw footage.
Eddie Kamae and The Sons of Hawaiʻi (Claybourne “Braddah Smitty” Smith, George Kuo, Joe Marshall, and Dennis Kamakahi) perform “Hanakeoki” on the series Island Music, Island Hearts. Recorded live at the KGMB studios in 1988.
Eddie Kamae and The Sons of Hawaiʻi (Paul Kim, Mike Kaʻawa, and Analu Aina) perform “Hanakeoki” at Windward Community College’s Palikū Theatre in 2009.
Kurt Johnson thinks back to the times he saw the Sons of Hawaiʻi and how they would start their performances.
Short preview clip of Eddie Kamae and Claybourne “Braddah Smitty” Smith performing “Hanakeoki” for the documentary The History of the Sons of Hawaiʻi in 1996.
Short preview clip of Eddie Kamae and The Sons of Hawaiʻi (Paul Kim, Mike Kaawa, and Analu Aina) performing “Hanakeoki” at Honey’s Restaurant in Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu in 2010.
To explore more of our digitized collections of raw footage with ʻUluʻulu, visit:
Hawaiian Legacy Foundation: Eddie & Myrna Kamae.