Eddie Kamae composed the music for this song and asked Mary Kawena Pukui to put lyrics to it. The story shares how Eddie’s simple question to Kawena, “What’s over there in that area?” launched a journey into her deep knowledge of Punaluʻu on Hawaiʻi island. The story also explains the many places referenced in the song and how the sound of waves breaking on the pebbles of Punaluʻu Beach was a reminder to Eddie of where our music comes from.
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.
Opening scene on the unique sounds of ʻiliʻili hānau with the song “Punaluʻu Nani” playing in the background from the documentary Words Earth & Aloha: The Source of Hawaiian Music.
Eddie Kamae shares how Mary Kawena Pukui described Punaluʻu to him and how they co-wrote the song “Punaluʻu Nani.”
Short preview clip of Eddie Kamae singing a verse of “Punaluʻu Nani” in Hakipuʻu in 1994.
To explore more of our digitized collections of raw footage with ʻUluʻulu, visit:
Hawaiian Legacy Foundation: Eddie & Myrna Kamae.