Musical Link 2: Heavily emphasized meter, dictated by a single instrument

        The meter in both “Ku Mai Ka Hali’a” and “Waka” is very prominent and heavily emphasized, particularly by a single instrument’s ostinato pattern. Both pieces remain in a quadruple meter; if the music was written down, it would most likely be written as a 4/4 time signature in both works. Although the vocal melodies also support a quadruple meter feel, it is largely the ostinato patterns in the instruments of both pieces that determine and sustain the meter with large emphasis on beat. In the Hawaiian mele, the ukulele plays an ostinato pattern of eighth notes on beats 2 and 4 (the “weak” beats), on the same chord, to emphasize the beat. One bar of that pattern (disregarding pitches, only rhythm is accurately portrayed) is shown here:

        This melodic rhythm remains steady throughout the song, instilling the quadruple meter feel. In “Waka”, the many percussion instruments and their polyrhythms can possible muddle the meter, but there is one instrument that can be relied on to keep the true quadruple meter going, and this is the bell. The bell used has a dry and hollow sound, and only plays on one pitch, possibly a cowbell or something similar. Through most of “Waka”, the bell plays the following rhythm on the same pitch. Again, only one bar of the motif is shown, and the pitch is not necessarily accurate. 

        In the Hawaiian piece and African piece, the ukulele and bell respectively keep an ostinato pattern throughout that emphasizes the quadruple meter. In both pieces, this has the effect of anchoring the rhythms and giving the pieces a steady and continuous feel, which is almost dance-like in both pieces.