Daniel’s musical inclinations were apparent at an early age. His first instruments were organ and ‘ukulele, then he graduated to classical guitar and piano, electric guitar, bass, drums, and eventually, voice. He dreamt big and followed his aspirations. This led him to study composing, arranging and film scoring at the Grove School of Music in Los Angeles. Shortly afterwards, he began his professional career as the leader, keyboardist, composer, and producer for Kilauea, a contemporary jazz group he formed in 1990. By 1997, Kilauea had released six chart-topping albums, two of which hit the Top 10 on Billboard’s jazz charts.
As momentum of the smooth-jazz genre waned, Daniel set his sights on starting an independent record label. He longed for artistic freedom, a rare privilege in the music industry. His interests in photography and graphic design complimented the built-in responsibilities of marketing and production. In 1998 he launched Daniel Ho Creations. It began as a vanity effort and consisted of his solo piano and Hawaiian slack key guitar recordings. Slowly, the releases grew into collaborative projects that featured Hawaiian hymns, hula, ‘ukulele, and slack key guitar music. To date, Daniel Ho Creations has released over fifty acoustic and Hawaiian-themed CDs by many of Hawai‘i’s most respected artists, who are first and foremost, friends. Daniel has received numerous Hawaiian music industry accolades including three Na Hoku Hanohano awards and eight Hawai‘i Music Awards.
In recent years, Daniel has been able to remain true to his craft and focus on what he loves most: the music. He is an accomplished singer and songwriter who has shared his music as a soloist throughout the U.S., Tasmania, Germany, and Japan. He has been featured with the Honolulu Symphony; toured as a keyboardist and guitarist for Grammy Award-winning vocalist, Peabo Bryson; guest-lectured at Stanford University; and authored instructional books on ‘ukulele and slack key guitar.
Daniel is a Yamaha guitar artist and plays Koaloha ‘ukuleles.
Aloha oe
Daniel Ho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ke nihi aʻela i ka nahele
E hahai (uhai) ana paha i ka liko
Pua ʻāhihi lehua o uka
Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
One fond embrace,
Until we meet again
(Instruments play)
Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
One fond embrace,
A hoʻi aʻe au
Until we meet again
The Hawaiian love song Aloha Oe by Daniel Ho is a bittersweet farewell to someone who is departing, with the rain proudly falling on the hills and the forest rustling with delight as the person bids their loved ones goodbye. The opening line "Haʻaheo ka ua i nā pali" is translated to mean the rain is proud in the mountains, which symbolizes the deep love and pride that the Hawaiians have for their land. The second line "Ke nihi aʻela i ka nahele" refers to forests that are rustling with joyful anticipation, as the persona leaves the woods to pursue their journey.
The chorus "Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe," which means farewell, farewell, is replete with longing and sadness as the two lovers part ways. The person leaving is asked to dwell in fondness and embrace the bitter-sweet memories of the moments passed while in the embrace of their loved ones. The last line is "A hoʻi aʻe au, until we meet again," a reflection of the hope to see the person again. The song captures the essence of a final goodbye and the pain that comes with parting.
Line by Line Meaning
Haʻaheo ka ua i nā pali
The rain is proud as it falls on the mountains
Ke nihi aʻela i ka nahele
Swiftly moving through the forests
E hahai (uhai) ana paha i ka liko
Perhaps chasing after the buds
Pua ʻāhihi lehua o uka
Blooming ʻāhihi lehua flowers of the uplands
Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe
Farewell to you, farewell to you
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
The charming one who dwells in the shaded bowers
One fond embrace,
One last hug
A hoʻi aʻe au
Until I return
Until we meet again
Until we see each other again
Contributed by Kaitlyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Diane Nalini
This is such a lovely arrangement. Tia sings so beautifully from the heart and Daniel Ho's accompaniment is perfect and deceptively 'simple' - love his campanella arrangements but they require so much precision. He makes it look so easy and every note sings. Thank you for posting this.
Coastal PHriends
Completely agree!
Daniel Ho
Thank you Diane! I’m glad you like it. You’re such an awesome player you can do this easily!
Tyana Morgan
Tia’s voice is amazing💛 I sing this to my son almost every night!
John Doe
Always shed a tear when I hear this song.
Theresa Cate
This is an extremely powerful arrangement!!! The authenticity and meaning in the delivery of this song is amazingly beautiful!!! Tia is so natural and commits with an inner beauty of love for her culture which is evident throughout this song. Daniel is just so magical on the ukelele as though he were nuturing a baby!!!
He is so in the zone its quite hypnotizing!!! Simply Beautiful!!! Love from NZ xxx
NABlueJacket
Tia's speaking voice is like a song... just beautiful.
blackcitroenlove
Dear God, what a stellar voice. This always makes me cry
Joanne K
There are no words beautiful enough to describe this song, the musician, and singer. It touches my soul. Mahalo nui loa!
A. Ocasion
my family played this for my white cat Pudding who died of cancer recently. We were weeping as Tia sang...Much love and aloha