If you’ve been to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai‘i, you have hopefully noticed the many Disney touches at the resort. One particularly special surprise can be heard in our elevators and throughout Aunty’s Beach House. If you listen closely, you’ll hear classic Disney songs being sung in Hawaiian!

When planning for the opening of Aulani Resort, Walt Disney Imagineering selected a variety of songs from the Disney collection and collaborated with producer, songwriter and artist Kenneth Makuakane on musical arrangements. Makuakane also worked with Hawaiian language experts on translations, as well as local musicians and singers on recording, including the Kamehameha School Children’s Choir and Hawaiian recording artist Lehua Kalima.

The music, which was recently released as a collection of 13 songs in “Mele from Aunty’s Beach House, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa,” was nominated for two Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards: Compilation Album of the Year and Engineering – Hawaiian. The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards honor the achievements of excellence in the Hawaiian recording arts.

To bring home the sounds of Disney in Hawaiian, “Mele from Aunty’s Beach House” is available on iTunes and other music streaming applications. The CD is also available for purchase at Aulani Resort. Listen for my personal favorites, “Ke Noi Aku I Kahi Hōkū” or “When you Wish Upon a Star.”