ハワイというと、青々とした海や、深い緑の樹木を想像される人も多いだろうけど、レイとイローディアの住むナナクリというネイティブハワイアンの人たちが集まって住んでいる土地は、とても乾燥していて、その土と枯れた草木が”yellow”のイメージ。彼らは、私にハワイアンネーム(alohalani:天国からの愛)をくれたハワイでの父母で、何年も一緒に録音することを夢見ていた。録音中に、イローディアが「レイが初めてのデートの時にくれたレイが、イエロー・ジンジャーだったのよ」と嬉しそうに教えてくれた。

I think most people imagine the very blue ocean or the very green plants when they hear Hawai’i, but Nanakuli(両方のaの上に横棒), the place where many native Hawaiian people live and where Ray and Elodia live, is very dry. The land and the withered bush have an image of “yellow” for me. Ray and Elodia are my Hawaiian parents who gave me my Hawaiian name (alohalani: love from the heaven), and I have dreamed of recording together with them for many years. When we were recording this song, Elodia told me happily “the first lei that Ray gave me on our first date was yellow ginger lei”.

Music & lyrics by Johnny K. Almeida
Recorded at Waianae ῾Ōlelo Media Center Hawaii USA July 2000
Recorded by Satoru Fujii
Raymond Kāne : acoustic guitar and vocal
Elodia Kāne : vocal
Bobby Ingano : lap steel guitar
Martin Pahinui : acoustic guitar & electric bass