Written by Sam Liʻa Kalāinaina for his grandniece, Leimomi Agrabante, the song is an example of the way Sam gifted his songs to friends and family. “Hawaiʻi Kai” demonstrates his ability to compose a traditional Hawaiian song even when writing about a modern, developed urban area: Hawaiʻi Kai, traditionally known as Maunalua.
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.
Leimoni Agrabante shares about how her tūtū, Sam Liʻa Kalāinaina, wrote the song “Hawaiʻi Kai” for her in the documentary, Liʻa: The Legacy of a Hawaiian Man.
Eddie Kamae and The Sons of Hawaiʻi (Claybourne “Braddah Smitty” Smith, George Kuo, Joe Marshall, and Dennis Kamakahi) perform “Hawaiʻi Kai” at Camp Olomana, Oʻahu in 1987.
Leimoni and Paul Agrabante sing one of Sam Liʻa Kalāinaina’s favorite songs entitled “Lei Nani” by Charles Namahoe for the documentary Lia: The Legacy of a Hawaiian Man.
To explore more of our digitized collections of raw footage with ʻUluʻulu, visit:
Hawaiian Legacy Foundation: Eddie & Myrna Kamae.