Puakea Nogelmeier is a

kumu hula Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form expressing chant (''oli'') or song ( ''mele''). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance ...

, linguist, scholar, researcher, writer and American composer of Hawaiian music and chant who is Professor Emeritus of Hawaiian Language at the

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system and houses the main offic ...

and Executive Director of Awaiaulu. Nogelmeier was Professor at the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the

. His translation of The Epic Tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele won the 2008 Samuel M. Kamakau Award for books of the year. Nogelmeier was born Marvin Nogelmeier. He was given the Hawaiian name, Puakea, by kumu hula Maiki Aiu Lake. "Puakea" translates to "fair child." Nogelmeier was trained in hula by Mililani Allen, learned Hawaiian chant from Edith Kanakaʻole and

Edith Kawelohea McKinzie Edith Kawelohea Kapule McKinzie (October 22, 1925–October 21, 2014) was an American genealogist, educator, author, and expert in hula and chant. A Kanaka Maoli, or Native Hawaiian, Edith published two books on Hawaiian genealogy, was director o ...

. He learned much of the Hawaiian language and culture from Theodore Kelsey, Sarah Nākoa, and Kamuela Kumukahi. In 1999, Honolulu's public bus transportation service, TheBus, hired Nogelmeier to rerecord the voice announcements featured on the bus. Nearly 6,000 individual phrases and place names were recorded for the program. In the process, Nogelmeier researched each Hawaiian place name to ensure the most accurate pronunciation. The recordings have helped to standardize how people pronounce these names.

Life

In 1984, Nogelmeier began teaching Hawaiian language at the

. He retired in 2018 after teaching for 35 years. Nogelmeier is openly

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

Academic achievements, awards, and honors

*Samuel M. Kamakau Award - Book of the Year (2008) *Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame (2014)

Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards

Over the years, Nogelmeier has been nominated for more than two dozen

Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, occasionally called the Nā Hōkū Awards or Hoku Awards, are the premier music awards in Hawaii.Berger, John"A night of Na Hoku Hanohano" ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser''. May 22, 2011.Haug, Kawehi"Hoku awardees shine ...

for a number of categories. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 at the 43rd Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards.

Selected compositions

Hawaiian *''Ka Hula Papa Holoi'' (Performed by

Nāpua Greig Jaye Nāpua Greig-Nakasone (born March 4, 1974), known professionally as Nāpua Greig, is a Hawaiian musician, vocalist, songwriter, record producer, ''kumu hula'' (hula teacher), and educator from Maui, Hawaii. Known primarily for her contribution ...

) *''Ka Nohona Pili Kai'' (Co-written and Performed by

Kealiʻi Reichel Carleton Lewis Kealiinaniaimokuokalani Reichel (born June 26, 1962) popularly known as Kealii Reichel (pronounced ), is a singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, chanter, scholar, teacher, and personality from Hawaii. He has spent his life ...

) *''Lei Haliʻa'' (Performed by

) *''Nematoda'' (Performed by

) *''Toad Song'' (Performed by

) *''Pili O Ke Ao'' (Performed by Kūpaoa) Hawaiian-English *''Bumbye'' (Performed by Kūpaoa)

Selected bibliography

Linguistics *''The Epic Tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele'' *''I Ulu I Ke Kumu : The Hawai'inuiākea Monograph'' *''Ke Kumu Aupuni : The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood'' Hawaiian Culture *''Ke Aupuni Mōʻī'' Edited by Puakea Nogelmeier *''Keaomelemele; "He Moʻolelo Kaʻao No Keaomelemele"

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nogelmeier, Puakea 1953 births Living people American male dancers American male singers Songwriters from Hawaii Singers from Hawaii Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners American male songwriters University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa faculty LGBTQ people from Hawaii