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Lā Kalikimaka

Written by Sam Liʻa Kalāinaina, Larry Kimura and Eddie Kamae. The story explains how Eddie asked Larry to add a verse to Sam’s composition while Eddie composed the music. This song recalls a time when Sam and his musical group would serenade families house-to-house on horseback during Christmas time and on special occasions. This song captures those happy times in Waipiʻo Valley with family and friends so fondly remembered by Sam.

Pūʻolo contains

  • lyrics and translations
  • song story
  • educational questions
  • music sheets
  • bibliography
  • resources from Kamae archive

Listen with Lyrics

Press play in the video and open the lyrics
or music sheets to follow along.

Recording from the 1996 album Christmas Time with Eddie Kamae and The Sons of Hawaii (track 6). Performed by Eddie Kamae and The Sons of Hawaii. © ℗ Hawaii Sons Inc. All rights reserved.

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 shares the story that David Makaoe shared with him about the time he, when 15 years old, went serenading on horseback with Sam Liʻa Kalāinaina in Waimea and Waipiʻo.

B-roll footage of horseback serenaders (Clyde “Kindy” Sproat and others) singing “Na Ke Aloha (Waimānalo)” to a couple in front of their home; reminiscent of the times Sam Liʻa Kalāinaina and others would serenade families on horseback, 1987.

Eddie Kamae and The Sons of Hawaiʻi (Dennis Kamakahi, Joe Marshall, and David “Feet” Rodgers) perform “Lā Kalikimaka” for the KITV television special Christmas Time with Eddie Kamae & The Sons of Hawaii.

To explore more of our digitized collections of raw footage with ʻUluʻulu, visit:
Hawaiian Legacy Foundation: Eddie & Myrna Kamae.

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