Written by George Keahi and Harry Naope. The story is a window into the formative years of the Sons of Hawaiʻi. It tells of how the group came together in 1959 after Eddie Kamae stopped by a friend’s house and found Gabby there. Through weeks of playing together, Eddie heard the soul speak through the music they created. The story shares how the song “ʻŪlili Ē” was an iconic arrangement by the Sons that captured a sound that had folks banging on the tables to “hana hou!”
Pūʻolo contains
- lyrics and translations
- song story
- educational questions
- music sheets
- bibliography
- resources from the 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.
Eddie Kamae and Joe Marshall reflect on Gabby Pahinui’s music and how he and Eddie helped each other hear the soul speak in Hawaiian music from the documentary, The History of the Sons of Hawaii.
Eddie Kamae shares how he became interested in Hawaiian music after hearing Gabby Pahinui and Joe Marshall play and how David “Feet” Rogers became part of the group.
Eddie Kamae, Gabby Pahinui, and Joe Marshall at the Hoʻolauleʻa Music Festival in Hāna, Maui in 1970.
Dennis and David Kamakahi perform “ʻUlili Ē” at Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s Atherton Studio in Honolulu in 2000.
Claybourne “Braddah Smitty” Smith reflects on the early music of the Sons of Hawaiʻi and how it shaped his understanding of Hawaiian music.
Claybourne “Braddah Smitty” Smith shares the chicken skin moments hearing the Sons of Hawaiʻi play and how their sound touched so many.
Eddie Kamae shares how Joe Marshall, Gabby Pahinui, and David “Feet” Rogers each contributed to the unique sound of the Sons of Hawaiʻi.
To explore more of our digitized collections of raw footage with ʻUluʻulu, visit:
Hawaiian Legacy Foundation: Eddie & Myrna Kamae.