# Is Hawaiian Music Really A Thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884 "2010-05-26T22:30:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/1 "2010-05-26T22:30:28Z")
I don’t have a problem or much of an opinion one way or another with it, I just was mildly surprised that SiriusXM had a whole channel devoted to it. (I mean, I guess if not there, where?, but . . .). So – other than Don Ho and what I assumed was for-tourists-only, how many serious ukulele-toting bands, clubs, radio stations are there that are devoted, in a non-gimmicky way, to this genre? New stuff is still coming out? Anyone a devotee? (Sirius wasn’t my immediate impetus for this post – Pandora just served up Israel Kamakawi-I-give-up, and it was kind of catchy). ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/2 "2010-05-26T22:45:25Z")
It is a thriving business in Hawaii. I suspect that the Hawaii channel was created just for local tastes but probably has a huge audience in expats.😉 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/3 "2010-05-26T23:00:01Z")
While Iz is awesome, he’s been dead awhile. There is certainly new Hawaiian music being made. I just went to a HAPA concert. (I’d link to their website, but it plays unstoppable music.) Jake Shimabukuro is reinventing how to play the ukulele. Willie K is still making music out on Maui. Justin Kawika Young is a newcomer and doing the style-blending thing. Plenty of others, too. It’s no different than any other sub-genre of what’s grouped together as “World Music.” ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/4 "2010-05-26T23:27:15Z")
There is a long history of Hawaiian music, though it isn’t really known much outside of the islands. Don Ho was crap for tourists. There are some really good artists, but I just don’t know the names. Think melodic acoustical for the most part. At least that’s the stuff I’ve heard my friends play when I was there. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/5 "2010-05-26T23:28:59Z")
There’s a lot of Hawaiian music. If you have access to the iTunes music store, check out the artists there. Heck, you can even look on Amazon for an idea. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/6 "2010-05-26T23:31:34Z")
I adore Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu. There’s also Keali’i Reichel, whom I don’t love so much. I find his music kind of corny and muzak-y. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/7 "2010-05-26T23:34:36Z")
Depends on your definition. A lot of the “pop” Hawaiian music now is just covers of much more popular songs, e.g. Iz’s versions (2 that I know of) of “What a Wonderful World.” Personally, these artists don’t bring anything original to the table. In essence, Iz would basically be considered a “traditional” tenor. Another type of Hawaiian music is original songs performed by a group formed of people from Hawaii (not expats, like Joe Johnson.) The most famous of these groups would be Cecilio and Kapono, who made the cover of Billboard magazine in the 70’s. However, you could also include Kalapana. The “original” Hawaiian music is an ethnic music sung in Hawaiian, often using traditional instruments. Afaik, very few artists are putting out songs in Hawaiian, because, quite simply, not enough people understand the language to profit at it. A few “pop” musicians from the first group will package Hawaiian language songs on their CD’s, but the covers generally sell better. So, to answer your question, there is definitely a genre of Hawaiian music, but the commercial stuff is rather embarrassing. The peak is long gone, and the new groups today can’t write an original lyric to save their lives. Traditional Hawaiian music is still around, but there’s almost zero commercial artists making a living at it. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/8 "2010-05-26T23:41:01Z")
I enjoy [John Keawe](http://johnkeawe.com/)’s slack key guitar. And when we visited Hawaii we also enjoyed the “Jawaiian” fusion stuff we heard (Hawaiian rhythms infused with reggae beat.) ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/9 "2010-05-26T23:46:34Z")
There is way more to Hawaiian music than Don Ho. I really like slack key, some of these pickers are awesome. There is an all afternoon free slack key festival on Maui and some of the other islands every year. You should try to take one in if you’re on the islands during the summer. It’s a good way to hang out with the locals. One of my favorite performers is [Makana](http://www.makanamusic.com/), he plays quite frequently on the west coast, but never in the mid-west, damnit. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/10 "2010-05-27T00:06:56Z")
While there is genuine Hawaiian music, I would imagine they could also include Ukelele covers of popular songs (this is a big thing on youtube), some Elvis tunes, and ‘surfer’ style music. ---
**Author:** ![RhapsodyInBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RhapsodyInBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RhapsodyInBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/11 "2010-05-27T01:55:36Z")
Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole did a nice cover of [Somewhere Over the Rainbow](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I&feature=related), Hawaiian style. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/12 "2010-05-27T02:22:20Z")
> [@RhapsodyInBlue](#): > > Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole did a nice cover of [Somewhere Over the Rainbow](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I&feature=related), Hawaiian style. That’s one I heard. I could have done without the mawkish Armstrong cover mashup. The SOTR part was very pretty and the dude can/could sing. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/13 "2010-05-27T02:26:46Z")
I think Hawaiian music is quite nice, in small doses - just as I think Irish music, or Mariachi music and other types of culturally identified music is nice for a few minutes. However, the key word is “small doses”. I have had to leave Irish bars when they play that “diddly diddly dee” crap endlessly, or have refused to sit in any restaurant with a group of Mariachi roaming from table to table, driving you nuts. On our flight to Hawaii, the airlines played Hawaiian music for the last hour before landing - I guess to get us all “in the mood” for our arrival in Honolulu, and by the time we landed, I was about ready to smash the next ukulele I saw. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/14 "2010-05-27T04:53:44Z")
> [@RhapsodyInBlue](#): > > Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole did a nice cover of [Somewhere Over the Rainbow](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I&feature=related), Hawaiian style. The first part of that track is used as a theme song, or on a commercial or something. But I can’t place it. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/15 "2010-05-27T04:57:46Z")
I bought this album 10 years ago, and I’m still listening to it: [Big Kahuna & the Copa Cat Pack – _Hawaiian Swing_](http://www.amazon.com/Hawaiian-Swing-Kahuna-Copa-Pack/dp/B00000JLIT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274936162&sr=1-1). ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/16 "2010-05-27T04:59:31Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > The first part of that track is used as a theme song, or on a commercial or something. But I can’t place it. Anyone know? It was used as the credits music for 50 first dates. However, there’s two versions. I don’t know offhand, but I think it’s the newer one. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/17 "2010-05-27T05:00:51Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > While there is genuine Hawaiian music, I would imagine they could also include Ukelele covers of popular songs (this is a big thing on youtube), some Elvis tunes, and ‘surfer’ style music. Eww. Why? Just because ukulele’s exist in Hawaii doesn’t mean they should be used. To us, it’s like a recorder. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/18 "2010-05-27T05:03:38Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > It was used as the credits music for 50 first dates. Nope, never saw it. Something else. ---
**Author:** ![Foldup\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Foldup\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foldup_Rabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/19 "2010-05-27T05:17:03Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Nope, never saw it. Something else. Ted’s band on Scrubs, The Worthless Peons, sang that version of the song during the Wizard of Oz episode. [YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCeQuqMS9Ww) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884/20 "2010-05-27T05:32:36Z")
> [@Foldup\_Rabbit](#): > > Ted’s band on Scrubs, The Worthless Peons, sang that version of the song during the Wizard of Oz episode. > > [YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCeQuqMS9Ww) Nope, never saw it. It’s just the first few seconds I recognize. A few strums, a few oo-oos, no words. I’m almost positive it’s a commercial for something. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hawaiian-music-really-a-thing/540884.md?page=2)