Written by Eddie Kamae’s grandmother, Kauhailikua ʻŌpūnui, the song is about the mythical mermaid of Lahaina. The story shares Eddie’s boyhood memories of visiting his grandmother in Lahaina and how he was surprised to find, decades later, that she was a composer of songs, including “Kananaka.” The story also shares how his grandmother passed along her knowledge to her only student, Emma Sharpe.
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.
How Eddie Kamae learns about the song “Kananaka” composed by his grandmother Kauhailikua ʻŌpūnui, from her only student, Emma Sharpe from the documentary, Lahaina: Waves of Change.
Malihini Keahi-Heath, Aima Aluli McManus, and Mihana A. Souza, students and family of Emma Sharpe, perform “Kananaka.”
Malihini Keahi-Heath, Aima Aluli McManus, and Mihana A. Souza share how they learned the song “Kananaka” and why it is so special to them.
To explore more of our digitized collections of raw footage with ʻUluʻulu, visit:
Hawaiian Legacy Foundation: Eddie & Myrna Kamae.