Kani Kuaola: Amplifying Livelihoods in Mele

Kahuli Leo Le’a will implement an innovative training and music production program that improves marketing and earnings among Mele Practitioners.  Mele is song and poetry, woven through the ancient epistemology of Native Hawaiians and with the contemporary material of lived experiences.  Currently, Mele practitioners are not realizing their fullest earning potential in the music industry and are not earning enough to sustain themselves financially.  This project will focus on training the Mele practitioners to access and manage royalty revenue streams and take ownership of their music on digital platforms while providing opportunities for Mele practitioners to record new Mele in genres beyond traditional Hawaiian music.  These Mele practitioners are critical to the survival of the Hawaiian culture and maintaining Mele as one of the preeminent art forms and knowledge practices of the Hawaiian people. Ultimately this project aims to ensure Mele practitioners earn living wages through their art.