He Lei Aloha No Mī Nei

[[Release Detail]][[Release Description]]A Sade-inspired take on Hawaiian music, Kainani Kahaunaele’s “He Lei Aloha No Mī Nei” melds the beauty of the Hawaiian language with a heavenly R&B groove. Reminiscent of Nohelani Cypriano’s “Lihue” — the 1979 cult classic that expanded the sound of Hawai‘i with its unexpectedly funky, tropical flavor — “He Lei Aloha No Mī Nei” charges forward into the 21st century with the same spirit. Kainani’s gentle voice and lyrics float across shimmering vocal arrangements and soft touches of piano, accompanied by tasteful drum programming, acoustic guitars swaying like palms against the calming warmth of the bass line. Known throughout Hawai‘i as one of the archipelago’s greatest advocates of the native Hawaiian language, ’Ōlelo Hawai’i, the singer, songwriter and educator finds music is one of her best methods for perpetuating the language. “I have to be the example that Hawaiian is a living language that you can apply in all facets of your life,” sh