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" Mele Kalikimaka" (pronounced [ˈmɛlɛ kəˌlitiˈmɐkə]) is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas song written in 1949 by R. Alex Anderson. The song takes its title from the Hawaiian transliteration of "Merry Christmas", Mele Kalikimaka. [1] One of the earliest recordings of this song was by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1950 on Decca. [2]
Robert Alexander Anderson (often given as R. Alex Anderson) (June 6, 1894 – May 30, 1995) [1] was an American composer who was born and lived most of his life in Hawaii, writing many popular Hawaiian songs within the hapa haole genre including "Lovely Hula Hands" (1940) and "Mele Kalikimaka" (1949), the latter the best known Hawaiian Christmas song.
Christmas With Arthur Godfrey and All The Little Godfreys (1953, Columbia B-348; Kahauolopua sings Mele Kalikimaka) [7] Al Kealoha Perry & His Singing Surfriders: Aloha, Hula Hawaiian Style (1996, Hana Ola Records. Perry was musical director of Hawaii Calls 1937–1967, and all the artists on this record were from that show.
The phrase is borrowed directly from English, but, since Hawaiian has a different phonological system (in particular, Hawaiian does not possess the /r/ or /s/ of English, nor does it have the phonotactic constraints to allow consonants at the end of a syllable), "Merry Christmas" becomes "Mele Kalikimaka".
Mele Kalikimaka is not a translation of Merry Christmas. It is a transposing of English words to make them look Hawaiian. He pololei ʻoe! And for the use directly above me. Yes, the Hawaiian word "mele" does mean song. However, in the case of Mele Kalikimaka, the word Mele means Merry.
Mele are chants, songs, or poems. The term comes from the Hawaiian language. It is frequently used in song titles such as "He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi", composed in 1866 by Liliʻuokalani as a national anthem. Hawaiian songbooks often carry the word in the book's title. [1] Mele is a cognate of Fijian language meke.
These are lists of North American place name etymologies: . Mexican state name etymologies; Canadian provincial name etymologies; Origins of names of cities in Canada; List of U.S. places named after non-U.S. places
She signed many of her mele (songs) with the name "Kapili". Notable surviving compositions include "ʻÂinahau" [ 11 ] (an ode to her home, where she composed most of her works) and "Kuʻu Ipo Ika Heʻe Pue One" ("My Sweetheart"), also known as "Ka ʻOwē A Ke Kai", which Kanahele said was "written for a sweetheart she never married". [ 11 ]