The concept of aloha was shared with our hālau by Pīlahi Paki, the author who composed the Aloha Oli.  She sat almost all day with my parents on her Merrie Monarch tour to the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.  She was there to kakoʻo my sister Leialoha Amina and her hālau, Nā Lei O Kaholokū. They were entering the Hula Competition that year.  Leialoha was her haumāna.  It was through this union that we were introduced to Aunty Pīlahi, as she was loving called.  When the  competition had ended, we were called to gather with her as she was leaving the stadium.  She had given us her manaʻo and also shared this with our parents. We were told that myself, Lorna and Lei would carry this kuleana.  Leialoha was to be the translator, researcher, the person who was to be the resource of the mele for the hālau, I was to be the leo, the voice, chanter, hoʻopaʻa and

Lorna, was to be the hands and feet. 

We were to be the trilogy. 

This was to an integral part of Hālau Na Lei O Kaholokū. 

When Hālau Nā Lei O Kaholokū began on the Big Island, we adapted to the concept of Aloha immediately.  It had become our mantra.  We began studying this oli and itʻs depth of meaning and Aunty Pīlahiʻs intention of sharing this chant with us.  We knew our kuleana was cultural and deep.  Once it was received, understood truly and deeply it was our kuleana not to keep and hold but to share.  It was through  hula and hālau it was shared with Hawaiʻi and the world. The Aloha oli truly has brought us to where we are today.  The ties I have with my haumāna that have graduated and those I have now was because we shared this aloha. I have traveled the world and shared aloha, just the utterance of the oli chant will open the doors for me as I was told, and indeed it has.