KÅNTA : I KAPIYA

"I Kapiya" is a song that goes back a long time.  This recording was made by the Four Winds, a singing group in Saipan in 1971 which included Guam's own Gordon Tydingco, who was in Saipan at the time, I believe as a teacher.  There was a Carolinian member, Luis Limes, and two stateside members, Howard Kerstetter and Fred Ekman.

Johnny Sablan has his own version of this song with minor differences in the lyrics.

I kapiya, i kapiya
(the chapel, the chapel)
gi kañådan guinife
(in the valley of dreams)
annai atmonio dumadådandan guihe.
(where the organ plays.)
Guaha un kantora yan si påle'
(There is a singer and the priest)
na sumåsaga guihe
(who stay there)
gi kapiya gi kañådan guinife.
(in the chapel in the valley of dreams.)

Bobongbong i korason-ho
(My heart was beating)
annai ma dådandan i kampåna
(when the bells were ringing)
dumimo yo' gi me'nan i attat
(I knelt before the altar)
annai para ta asagua.
(when we were to be wed.)

Ya iyo-mo yo' ya iyo-ko hao
(And I am yours and you are mine)
sa' man hula' hit guihe
(because we made our vows there)
gi kapiya gi kañådan guinife.
(in the chapel in the valley of dreams.)

FOUR WINDS

Tydingco (far left) and Limes (far right)

Kerstetter and Ekman in center