ʻUliʻuli
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Ulī ulī are Hawaiian feathered gourd rattles that are occasionally used as instruments in the traditional Hawaiian dance, hula. This instrument is used in both auana and kahiko hula dances. They are vibrantly colored feather gourd rattles used in kahiko performances to maintain timing and to enhance other sounds like chanting or the pounding of an ipu.
Ulī ulī are Hawaiian feathered gourd rattles that are occasionally used as instruments in the traditional Hawaiian dance, hula. This instrument is used in both auana and kahiko hula dances. They are vibrantly colored feather gourd rattles used in kahiko performances to maintain timing and to enhance other sounds like chanting or the pounding of an ipu.
Construction
The ulī ulī are made of various materials and take time to assemble properly. To make the base where the rattling sound is made, a calabash gourd is hollowed out and dried until hardened. Once the gourd is dried, it is filled with ali i poe (Canna) seeds. The base filled with the ali i poe seeds, is then attached to a stick wrapped with rattan for the handle by making holes at the top of the gourd and looping the strips of rattan through the holes. Kapa material is used for the cap and attached to the top end of the handle. Assorted feathers, commonly red and yellow feathers or hackle feathers, are attached to make the cap covering the top of the instrument. Some ulī ulī are made with kapa material attached to the center of the feather cap. Patterns stamped on the kapa material using ohe kāpala, flat carved bamboo sticks. Several plants like achiote, ʻōlena turmeric, uki uki (Dianella sandwicensis), noni Indian mulberry, kukui candlenut tree, and ʻākala raspberry can be ground up and mixed with water to make natural ink dyes for stamping designs onto the kapa.
References
"Implements and Instruments Database." Hula Preservation Society, Hula Preservation Society, www.hulapreservation.org/implement.asp?ID=1.
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1294824956 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.