Mele Kalikimaka

For the Beach Boys song, see Melekalikimaka.

"Mele Kalikimaka" is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas song that takes its title from the Hawaiian phrase, "Mele Kalikimaka," meaning "Merry Christmas.^[1]" The phrase is borrowed directly from English, but, since Hawaiian has a different phonological system (in particular, Hawaiian does not possess the /r/ or /s/ of English, nor does it have the phonotactic constraints to allow consonants at the end of a syllable), "Merry Christmas" becomes "Mele Kalikimaka."^[2] The song was written in 1949 by Robert Alex Anderson who is better known to fans of Hawaiian and hapa haole music as R. Alex Anderson. One of the earliest recordings of this song was by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters in 1950 on Decca 27228 (78 rpm) / 9-27228 (45 rpm) and has been covered by several artists. The song is featured in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

Notable versions

• Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
• Don Ho
• Davy Jones
• Arthur Lyman
• KT Tunstall
• Chris Isaak
• Hawaii Calls
• Jimmy Buffett, from Christmas Island
• Reel Big Fish
• One Eighty
• Nick Hexum
• The Good Lovelies
• The Puppini Sisters, from Christmas With The Puppini Sisters
• Bette Midler, from Cool Yule
• Blue Hawaiians, from Christmas On Big Island
• Willie K., from Willie Kalikimaka
• Orbie Custinger, from Mele Kalikimaka
• Kanilau, from Mele Kalikimaka From Kanilau
• Genoa Keawe & her hula maids, on the compilation album Vintage Hawaiian Treasures, Vol. 8: Santa's Gone Hawaiian!
• Teresa Carpio
• Steve Brock
• on the compilation Aloha Christmas 2004: Mele Kalikimaka
• Mina

External links

• Lyrics to Mele Kalikimaka

References

1. ^ Elbert, S. & Pukui, M.; Hawaiian Dictionary, page 481
2. ^ Golston, Chris; Yang, Phong (2001), "White Hmong loanword phonology", in Féry, A.D. Green; van de Vijver, R., Proceedings of HILP, 5, University of Potsdam: Potsdam, pp. 40–57