The Hawaiian Mission Houses presents ‘Mele Tūtū: Songs of our Grandparents,’ Oct. 10

The Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (HMH) invites the community to experience “Mele Tūtū: Songs of our Grandparents,” the next installment of HMH’s acclaimed Mele Program on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, on the Kahua Hoʻokipa Stage at Hawaiian Mission Houses, located at 553 S. King St. on Oʻahu.

Mele Tūtū invites guests to look closely at the memories and songs of grandparents or great-grandparents’ generation from the 1930s/1940s. Connection to kūpuna and elders, helps us to maintain the genealogies, histories, and mana of generations that we revere today, organizers said.

Expressed through mele (song), oli (chant), and hula (dance), Mele Tūtū embodies the enduring principle of Mālama Kūpuna: caring for elders.

In the 1930s and 1940s, during the time of grandparents and great-grandparents, live music performances and radio broadcasts were important ways of sharing local music not only across the islands, but also to the continental US and further abroad. Radio shows like “Hawaiʻi Calls” and its descendant program in the 1970s and 1980s, “Territorial Airwaves” helped to broadcast Hawaiian music, mele and culture to people otherwise unfamiliar with Hawaiʻi, its history, or its people. Orchestras playing hapahaole music, jazz, and other forms of popular Hawaiian music were instrumental in connecting people across the airwaves.

For many kamaʻāina, the mele and hula of the 1930s and 1940s are direct connections to their ancestors who danced hula, played in world-renowned touring Hawaiian bands, and kept the memory and music of previous generations alive in new contemporary ways for the time period.

These mele and hula evoke memories of family musicians in the yard or on the lānai, at family gatherings, or times when kūpuna would share the knowledge and history of the family with the younger generations. It brings back memories of joy, happiness, fun, and genuine connection between family members, organizers said.

MeleTūtū: Songs of our Grandparents will be brought to life by the renowned musicians and dancers of Hālau Hula Kamamolikolehua under the skilled leadership of Kumu Pōhai Souza, and Hālau Mele under the direction of Kumu Sam ʻOhu Gon III and Kumu Māhealani Wong. Together, these celebrated cultural practitioners will weave historical and contemporary expressions through performances that illuminate the enduring responsibility of every generation to honor and remember the lives of kūpuna.

Event Details

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
• Time: Seating opens at 5:30 p.m. | Performance begins at 6:30 p.m.
• Location: Kahua Hoʻokipa Stage at Hawaiian Mission Houses | 553 S. King St.
• Tickets: $50 https://missionhouses.org/events
• Culinary Experience: Gourmet charcuterie options available for purchase from Daʻcuterie by Oʻahu Premier Picnics
• Beverages: Cash bar featuring beer, wine, water, and soft drinks (available from 5:30 p.m. through intermission)
• Parking: Available at Civic Center Municipal Parking (346 Alapaʻi Street) or metered street parking on Kawaiahaʻo St., Mission Lane, or South Street
• Weather Contingency: In case of inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances, please check missionhouses.org for updates.