Kealiʻi (pronounced Kay-ah-LEE-ee) Reichel was born and raised on the island of Maui. Reichel grew up in the town of Lahaina where he attended Lahainaluna High School, however he spent weekends and summers with his maternal grandmother in the plantation town of Pāʻia. At the age of 24, Reichel was convicted of theft, and was sentenced to community service, which involved a study of Hawaiian culture. This marked a turning point in his life, as he decided to devote the rest of his life to the study and promotion of Hawaiian culture.
Reichel was one of the founding directors for Punana Leo O Maui, a Hawaiian language immersion pre-school. He has taught Hawaiian culture and language at the University of Hawaiʻi's, Maui Community College, and he was the Cultural Resource Specialist and curator at the Bailey House Museum in Wailuku.
E Ho'i I Ka Pili
Keali'i Reichel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E ku'u ipo.
E nëne'e mai, e nänea mai
E ke aloha,
E ho'onipo käua
He lei wehi 'oe
No ku'u nui kino.
E ke aloha,
E hanu lipo käua
Ka nehe a ke kai
O Kahakuloa
Kai ko'o häku'i pi'i ka pali
E ke aloha,
Pülupe iho käua
Puana 'ia mai
E ku'u ipo.
E nëne'e mai. e nänea mai
E ke aloha,
E ho'onipo kaua
Come here to me,
My darling love.
Cuddle close,
Relax my beloved,
And let us make love.
You are like a lei,
for me to wear.
Incomparably fragrant
At my heart, my dearest,
let us deeply kiss.
The sea at Kahakuloa,
rumbles on the rocks
and splashes up the cliffs.
Oh my love,
we are drenched.
Let it be told,
my love, my darling.
Cuddle close,
relax my beloved,
and let us make love
The Hawaiian language is beautiful and poetic, and Keali'i Reichel's song E Ho'i I Ka Pili exemplifies this beauty. The song is a sweet, romantic ballad about two lovers who have reunited after being apart. The title of the song means "Return to Embrace," and the lyrics reflect the joy and happiness that the lovers feel at being together again.
The first verse of the song sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The singer urges his lover to come close to him, to nuzzle and cuddle with him. The second verse compares the lover to a fragrant lei worn by the singer. The lyrics suggest that the lover is the source of great happiness and delight for the singer.
The final verse of the song describes the surroundings of the lovers -- the sea at Kahakuloa crashing against the rocks below them. Despite the roaring waves and the spray of the waves, the lovers are content in their embrace. The song ends with a reiteration of the singer's desire for his lover to come closer to him, to nuzzle and cuddle with him.
Overall, Keali'i Reichel's E Ho'i I Ka Pili is a beautiful song that captures the sweetness and tenderness of true love. Its lyrics speak of the joy and contentment that one feels when reunited with their true love.
Line by Line Meaning
E ho'i i ka pili
Come here to me, my darling love.
E ku'u ipo.
My beloved.
E nëne'e mai, e nänea mai
Cuddle close, relax my beloved.
E ke aloha,
Oh my love.
E ho'onipo käua
And let us make love.
He lei wehi 'oe
You are like a lei.
No ku'u nui kino.
For me to wear, on my body.
Lei 'ala hö'onaona lua i ka poli
Incomparably fragrant at my heart.
E ke aloha,
Oh my love.
E hanu lipo käua
Let us deeply kiss.
Ka nehe a ke kai
The sea rumbles on the rocks.
O Kahakuloa
At Kahakuloa.
Kai ko'o häku'i pi'i ka pali
And splashes up the cliffs.
E ke aloha,
Oh my love.
Pülupe iho käua
We are drenched.
Puana 'ia mai
Let it be told.
E ku'u ipo.
My beloved.
E nëne'e mai. e nänea mai
Cuddle close, relax my beloved.
E ke aloha,
Oh my love.
E ho'onipo kaua
And let us make love.
Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nantucketsailor1
E ho`i i ka pili
E ku`u ipo.
E nene`e mai, e nanea mai
E ke aloha,
E ho`onipo kâua
He lei wehi `oe
No ku`u nui kino.
Lei `ala ho`ônaona lua i ka poli
E ke aloha,
E hanu lipo kâua
Ka nehe a ke kai
O Kahakuloa
Kai ko`o hâku`i pi`i ka pali
E ke aloha,
Pulupê iho kâua
Puana `ia mai
E ku`u ipo.
E nene`e mai. e nanea mai
E ke aloha,
E ho`onipo kâua
@TheLaiegirl
keali'i reichel has the most beautiful voice, and I have never seen anyone who can sing hawaiian music like he does, The Best.......
@jumentogenial-oi2oo
Times change but the music no
@mnalu67
living in Nebraska for a number of years i hardly listened to Hawaiian music but when iheard Keali'i Rachel, i was hooked on his voice, it was a nice comeback for me. Love this man's voice n all that he represents. Mahalo
@DELTA19ACTUAL
Each time I close my eyes, I hear the surf as he sings....... I am too old to go back now, but I can remember and live the best days of my life in HAWAII
@rsnookerg308
Takes me back to the aina. Sitting on the beach, friends on the guitar, the warm air, the breeze, the blue sky, the sound of the ocean. Mahalo to the musicians
@sachinhazen
@missaloha1000 the land
@turtlexdove
whoever disliked this song needs to get their ears checked.
@glaznflip1501
And their soul
@cheguevara8410
This comment so old that YouTube had the dislike button 😂
@2011hib
The person who clicked dislike either has no love for music or jumped off before hearing enough to love the Hawaiian sound. Indescribable sounds evoking peace and well-being. Bless Keali'i.