I came to post information about a kpop group whose recent comeback is full of Cultural Appropriation. I am requesting assistance to continue mass emailing the company FNC so that they will make a statement about this and apologize to Native Hawaiians.
Cherry Bullet's new song is "Aloha 'Oe" and they say this exact phrase (incorrectly) and sample the original song. The original folk song was written by the Last Queen of the Hawaiian Monarchy as she sat trapped in her own palace while white colonizers dethroned her and took the land of the Hawaiian people away from them 100 years ago. The colonizers forced Hawaii to become a US territory. The company states that "Aloha 'Oe is a folk song about saying farewell to a loved one and wanting to see them again". What they fail to inform and understand is that this song symbolizes the loss of an entire Kingdom. It is a song of mourning and is played during funerals when loved ones die. They sample this original song and warp it into a happy, gimmicky, summer pop song.
Many do not understand that 'Oe is not just a fun sound they added and that is apart of the phrase "Aloha 'Oe" and changes the meaning of just Aloha. If they were just incorrectly pronouncing Aloha, it would be annoying but not worth time and energy. But it's not, it's a whole phrase in Olelo Hawaiian, a language that is sacred and endangered to die.
Please help and email the company. There is an older template here that you can use. Please don't give this song a listen or view as it does not deserve it for treating Hawaiian Culture as a joke and prop; an accessory for fun.
Follow this link for the old email template and email FNC.
My sources: I attended the University of Hawaii at Hilo and learned basic Olelo Hawaiian and took history and culture classes from the College for Hawaii on this campus. My friends are Native Hawaiian and requesting apologies. Thank you!
