Sing it Sistah: Robi Kahakalau and " "Pi'i Mai Ka Nalu"

I really feel inadequate to the task of writing about Hawaiian songs or singers, as I have never been to Hawaii. But, a funny thing happened recently. I started cataloging all the world and global music that Megan and I have in our collection. The purpose has been to give us a sense of what we have, and from what countries the music is from, so that we can be better informed when we present our show. The first surprise is how much music we have that classifies as world. So far I'm about half done, and I've already cataloged 2000 songs. That's a lot of music. Of course a lot of that comes from the albums that we have purchased over time, but a lot of it comes from individual songs we've purchased since we joined the rotation of DJs doing the Global Music Show for the purpose of playing them on the show. I like to highlight some new music that has just been released on every show, so that we can keep current and play things that our listeners may have never heard. So, the volume of music we have has been a big surprise.

The second surprise is how much Hawaiian music we have. I know where some of it came from, because I remember buying it. We saw a group called Hapa perform once and bought a couple of CDs. I purchased Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's Somewhere Over the Rainbow because I think it's beautiful and I love the story behind it. Then...there's all the other Hawaiian music we have. Megan says she put some together for a Hawaiian themed party, but I can't think that all the other Hawaiian music we have came from one event. So where did it come from? Did some Hawaiian god decide that we were to be bards and spread the Hawaiian music love around in the deserts of New Mexico? I don't know. All I know is that there seems to be a lot of it hiding amidst the the other nationalities.

Which is why today's random tune came up Hawaiian. Pi'i Mai Ka Nalu is by Robi Kahakalau. Often known as "Sistah Robi," she is considered one of Hawaii's most popular entertainers. Born in Germany, she is considered "Hapa" or half-Hawaiian and moved to the islands in 1980. She knew she had found home. Determined to learn everything she could about Hawaii, within 10 years she was a Hawaiian language instructor at the University of Hawaii and a musician. In 1990 she became the lead singer for the Hawaiian Style Band which first brought her to public attention and inclusion on Hawaiian music compilation albums. She released her first solo album, Sistah Robi, in 1995. She has released at least five albums, and in her songs you may hear French, Tahitian, Hawaiian and English - she's fluent in all of those languages. Pi'i Mai Ka Nalu can be found on her 1995 album Sistah Robi, and on the compilation CD Island Roots (2000).