University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo doctorate candidate Nicholas “Kealiʻi” Lum is turning social media into a classroom for cultural deepening just in time for Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi, or Hawaiian Language Month.
“Hiʻona Haku Mele,” Lum’s new Instagram video series, invites people to explore the poetic soul of Hawaiian music, going beyond conversational speech to uncover the unique lexical phrases that make mele, or songs, distinct.
You can watch the first video now on Instagram.
“There are specific pieces of language and ways of expression that make mele unique and separate it from common speech,” Lum explained, adding that he was inspired by Kahikina De Silva, an assistant professor at University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa’s Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language, who recommended he document these poetic devices in his dissertation…