Ma Ma Loa

Biography

Ma Ma Loa (born as Leilani Hia'a Kalaeloa) was a Hawaiian chanteuse, songwriter, recording artist, composer and Hula dancer. Her mother was Esther Lu'ukia Hia'a Kaluhiokalani. Ma Ma Loa was married to Kamuela Price, and later Raymond R. Mitchell. She was educated at Thomas Jefferson Elementary, Royal High School, Brigham Young University Hawaii at Laie, University of Hawaii. In 1925 at a very young age, she debuted at the Halemaumau Crater in Hawaii; she was dedicated by her father to Pele, the firey goddess of the volcano, as a dancer to the gods. It is said that Ma Ma Loa possessed the mana or spirit of the fire goddess. Her Waikiki debut was at the opening night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, on 1 February 1927, where she danced the hula. She worked with Alfred Apaka at the Lexington Hotel in New York City. She danced and sang in shows with Bing Crosby. She performed with the late Ray Kinney as one of his Aloha Maidens, danced, sang, and acted as a comic as well. Her performing took her across the country during WWII entertaining at Annapolis, Maryland; Paris Island, SOuth Carolina, and at various military bases. Ma Ma Loa worked with Hawaii's great Lena Machado, with whom she sung "Song Bird of Hawaii" in the same range contralto. She performed also with the outstanding steel guitarist Tommy Castro. More recently on May 3, 1998, Ma Ma Loa performed notably the Hula to Paul Abraham's "Die Blume von Hawaii" ("The Flower of Hawaii", "Fleur d'Hawaii"), a German-French operetta from the 1930s. Accompanied by Bandmaster Aaron Mahi and the Royal Hawaiian Band at a Kapiolani Park Concert, the spirited Ma Ma Loa danced to the entire medley of songs from the operetta. She was also the first model used for John Kelley Sr.'s painting "Leilani on the Beach". She was the first woman who recorded "The Lord's Prayer" in Hawaiian and English languages.