A group of youth on Oahu went into the studio late last year to record their renditions of three Bahá’í songs now available for viewing on YouTube. Mia Taheri, one of the youths involved, explained how the youth came to make the videos.
“A couple of years ago my family started to host devotional gatherings in our home,” said Mia. Devotional gatherings are informal meetings organized by Bahá’ís to share prayers and sacred writings with friends and neighbors of all faiths.
“A lot of junior youth and older youth started to attend, and we learned a lot of songs, including some with original melodies. Some of the songs had never been recorded. One of the members of our community had access to a studio so we went in and recorded three songs and posted them to YouTube.” The songs can be viewed at www.youtube.com/@HawaiiBahaiYouth with more songs on the way.
Mia even composed a new melody to go with “Blessed Is the Spot,” a selection from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith.
“I learned ukulele in 4th grade,” said Mia. “I was able to come up with a simple chord progression which we used for the recording.”
The lyrics of another of the songs is from the “Hidden Words” of Bahá’u’lláh, sung in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi:
E Ka Mamo ʻUhane Ola! ʻO ka mua kēia o kaʻu kuauhā: I maʻemaʻe, i lokomaikaʻi, a i mālamalama ka mauli ou, a nou nō ke ea kahiko, pio ʻole, a mau loa hoʻi.
O Son of Spirit! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.
“This has been a bonding experience for the youth,” said Mia. “Singing together, especially the Bahá’í writings, brought us a lot of joy and unity.” Several of the youth are also organizing activities for the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program, working with youth aged 11-14, as well as continuing to participate in the regular devotional gatherings.
A screenshot of the youth group singing a Hidden Word in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi
