The Hawaiian Rainbow (The Anuenue Song)

It's time for another visit to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands! "The Hawaiian Rainbow" will teach you and your singers about the colors of the "anuenue" (rainbow). People in Hawaii get to see many rainbows because of the wonderful mix of sunshine and brief downpours. A rainbow is even featured on their state license plate. So, we thought, why not sing about it?

There are many Hawaiian words featured in this song. First off, notice that the tempo marking is "holoholo," which means "a leisurely walk or ride." We thought that would be a nice Hawaiian way to say "andante." From there, you find a fun, easy-going melody that your singers will pick up easily. They will get to learn several Hawaiian words, including the phrase for "until we meet again," which is "a hui hou." We've provided a written pronunciation guide below for all of the words used. Again, these will be learned fairly easily by your singers, and they are really fun to say and sing.

Of course, the song features a very Hawaiian accompaniment with ukulele and slide guitar. Be sure to bring out the grass skirts, Hawaiian shirts, leis, etc., for a perfect tropical scene during a performance.

rainbow: anuenue "ah-noo-weh-noo-weh"
sea: kai "ky-ee"
red: 'ula'ula "'oo-lah'oo-lah"
orange: 'alani "ah-lah-nee"
yellow: melemele "meh-leh-meh-leh"'
green: 'oma'oma'o "'oh-mah'oh-ma'oh"
blue: polu "poh-loo"
purple: poni "poh-nee"
until we meet again: a hui hou "ah hoo-wee hoh"