Written by Mary Kawena Pukui and set to music by Eddie Kamae. The story shares how Eddie was asked to create music for a poem Kawena wrote about the love and beauty she witnessed in Kalaupapa. The story includes a brief history of Kalaupapa and ends with Eddie’s deep affinity for both the place and the song that honors his teacher and her message of hope for Hawaiʻi’s future.
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.
About “Kalaupapa,” the last song Eddie Kamae wrote with Mary Kawena Pukui from the documentary, Those Who Came Before: The Musical Journey of Eddie Kamae.
Eddie Kamae reflects on the music he wrote to portray the thoughts, feelings, and love of Mary Kawena Pukui’s poem for Kalaupapa.
B-roll footage of the Kalaupapa peninsula on the island of Molokaʻi, including shots of the church, majestic cliffs and the gentle surging sea, 2001.
To explore more of our digitized collections of raw footage with ʻUluʻulu, visit:
Hawaiian Legacy Foundation: Eddie & Myrna Kamae.