Every Thursday this month, a new collection of Hawaiian chants and mele (songs) have been released online at the Hawaiʻi State Archives. The digital project has allowed broad public access to forgotten culture and art. While the treasures have been safely tucked away in the state archives for decades, they are being shared much to the delight of our kupuna and teachers of dance and music. Kumu Hula Pohai Souza and musician Walter Kawaiʻaeʻa expressed how much it means to have easy access to this history as they work to pass it on. State Archivist Adam Jansen shared how "Songful Voices of the Ancestors" came about.
This segment aired on The Conversation on Oct. 28, 2021.
