Five years after his debut release, “E Ho‘i Na Wai,” kumu hula (hula teacher) Cody Pueo Pata returns with “He Aloha. . .”, a gorgeous collection of originals and standards honoring love, tradition, and the natural and spiritual forces of Maui. With a stellar array of guest artists, original arrangements, and lively instrumentation throughout, Pata leads us on Five years after his debut release, “E Ho‘i Na Wai,” kumu hula (hula teacher) Cody Pueo Pata returns with “He Aloha. . .”, a gorgeous collection of originals and standards honoring love, tradition, and the natural and spiritual forces of Maui. With a stellar array of guest artists, original arrangements, and lively instrumentation throughout, Pata leads us on a tour that presents the traditional Hawaiian mele aloha, or, love song, in a contemporary context.
Pata first garnered acclaim throughout the Islands when he won the statewide Frank B. Shaner falsetto contest in 1999. Although he has since released two albums and earned nominations for numerous Na Hoku Hanohano awards, including for “Most Promising New Artist” and “Best Hawaiian Language Performance,” those who know the Pukalani, Maui resident know he is first and foremost devoted to the art and life of hula.
“Hula is my lifestyle, but to support that, I make a living through entertainment. Music is a way for me to feed my hula lifestyle,” explains Pata. “My masters and certain kupuna (elders) imparted to me that the physical, outward aspects of hula are never separated from the spiritual side, which is referred to as huna.” Because he is an expert at composing mele, choreographing and training dancers, and performing traditional oli (chanting), Pata’s services are often requested at major cultural events such as the Maui Film Festival’s opening reception.
“He Aloha...” attests to the fact that Pata’s long history with hula is inseparable from his musical undertakings. “Within the past few years, I experienced a lot of deaths and it was people who were very close to me—my masters, teachers, and close friends,” he recounts. “So I thought, how better to memorialize their teachings than to make an album about what they passed on to me all through Aloha? With new songs that I had composed or come in contact with, I was able to form that strategy and form the reason for the album.”
For instance, the song “Awapuhi Puakea” is dedicated to Pata’s longtime master, Nona Mahilani Kaluhiokalani, who trained him in the art of hula and the lifestyle of Aloha. “She passed away in 2002 and that song was written explicitly for her,” says Pata. “Since I inherited the halau [school] when Auntie Nona passed away, we always make sure to honor her in our chants.”
Although seemingly immersed in the ways of traditional Hawaiian culture, this is only one aspect of Pata’s character for his diverse heritage reaches beyond the shores of Hawai‘i. With a great-great-great grandmother who was half Native American and half Hawaiian, Pata is the rare product of two remarkably spiritual cultures. Born in Sacramento, California, he is the linguistic compiler for the 270-member Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians and visits with them four times a year in Corning, California, where they possess 2,000 acres. Although he is the holder of the tribe’s many songs and ceremonies, his study of their vast cultural archive is ongoing.
Pata recorded “He Aloha…” at the Valley Isle’s Ulu Loa Studio on the verdant acreage of Ha‘iku, nestled on the flanks of Haleakala. “It’s one of the most beautiful studio properties that I have ever seen,” he marvels, “and I’ve been all over the state to many different studios. It’s very low-key and Jake and Laurie Roher are just incredible. The main reason for what they do is to record Maui’s tradition so they have an incredible aloha for our culture and our music,” says Pata. “It’s so well kept, and they even built a gazebo area for artists to perform in when they have parties.”
Guest artists include Willie Wainwright on violin, Aaron Sala on piano, and Jeffery Au Hoy on Hawaiian steel. “They’re all premier entertainers and they’re also my friends, so I was very lucky to have their input,” says Pata. “Jeff especially did an excellent job of asking me, verse by verse, what the meaning of a lyric was, and then he would put his interpretation of that feeling into his guitar work. And when I would say to Willie this song talks about birds, he would make his violin chirp.”
Pata’s first album won a Hoku for the graphics; the design of this sophomore effort is no less exceptional. Photographs of magnificent forms found in Maui’s natural landscape serve as metaphors for the lyrics. Each page’s artwork abounds with symbolism. “I teamed up with designer Scott Johnson and photographer Randy Jay Braun who knew that I wanted everything on the package to have meaning,” says Pata. “There are so many layers of meaning, from the front cover to the back cover to everything inside—every little color, tone, or shading actually has a meaning.”
Whether it’s the ‘Iao Needle on the cover evoking blessings on the music within, a photo of the laua‘e fern representing fertility, or a portrait of Pata himself crossing a bridge seeming to invite the listener to follow him on a journey, multiple layers of meaning can be discovered everywhere. “Everything is based on knowing that the physical is just a metaphor for the spiritual. The mele that I write are concentrated with this mana,” says Pata. “Aloha is a selfless act, and you can never give it with the expectation of getting something back. It is a lifestyle.”
