Oli (Hawaiian Chant)

Hawaiian Language & Oli Chanting Lessons. Learn the melodic Hawaiian language of the land, wind & sea. Sign up for in-person or online Olelo language and Oli chanting lessons!

Anyone who hears authentic Hawaiian chanting for the first time – or the hundredth time – can be struck with awe at its soul-shaking beauty, and possibly feel what locals call “chicken skin”. In each Oli chanting lesson we learn a bit of Olelo, Hawaiian language, while simultaneously picking up pieces of Hawaiian history, legends, values and a deep sense of place. From the name of a wind that graces a particular spot to the fragrance of its foliage, Hawaiian language and oli chants help us to remember or to imagine ourselves in the locations we are describing. Chanting an oli is an empowering exercise for the voice that can increase our self-confidence.

Chanting was an integral part of ancient Hawaiian life, as artistic expression and also to convey history and genealogy, especially before the written Hawaiian language, and it remains a rich repository of Hawaiian knowledge to this day.

Learning to chant oli can be a connecting, lively, and spiritually moving experience, and can also be enjoyed interactively online with Still & Moving.