E nā hono a'o pi'ilani, aloha kakahiaka! There are many beautiful mele written in honor of our island Maui. For example, the mele Lei Lokelani, written by Charles E. King boasts of the beauty of the lokelani blossom, the flower of Maui. Ua 'ike maka au i ka nani o ia pua, I have witnessed the beauty of this flower, pua ho'ohihi na'u, a flower cherished by me alone, pū'ia i ke 'ala, imbued with fragrance. In the mele he addresses Maui as Maui a Kama, a poetic phrase used to honor Kamalālāwalu, one of Maui’s great ali’i. In the last paukū, the last verse, he talks about the things Maui is famous for, nā hono a'o Pi'ilani, the bays of Maui’s paramount chief, Pi'ilani, Kilakila Haleakalā, and of course, majestic Haleakalā. The mele expresses the composers love and admiration of our island home, but I often wonder, is it just the island Maui that has captured the eye of the composer, or perhaps, someone from Maui has caught the composer’s attention and made our island look even more delightsome. You choose and enjoy the kaona of Hawaiian mele. Lei Lokelani, lei aloha, lei makamae. Aloha nō, a hui hou. CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o podcast.