# Recommend good recent Hawaiian music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2002, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823 "2002-06-25T03:26:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![emolson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@emolson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emolson)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/1 "2002-06-25T03:26:43Z")
Can anyone recommend some good recent Hawaiian music? (Preferably with links to samples, if that wouldn’t run afoul of copyright restrictions. I know Amazon does it - can we post those links?) ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/2 "2002-06-25T03:32:51Z")
How Hawaiian? How recent? I’m not a fan (I prefer rock 60s-70s) but I thought [Wanting Memories](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000003ZVJ/qid=1024975574/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-9419620-4361536) by Keali’i Reichel was stunning. It’s 8 years old. And I’m out. Wow, that took 6 previews to get right! ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/3 "2002-06-25T10:37:27Z")
Look for anything by the **Pahinui Brothers**. Everything they do is outstanding! ---
**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:** [June 25, 2002, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/4 "2002-06-25T11:07:33Z")
I just have a minute, so sorry, I can’t hunt for samples links. On my Hawaiian music mp3 CD: Ten Feet Three Plus Keali’i Reichel Israel Kamakawiwo’ole Hawaiian Style Band Na Leo Pilemehana The Mana’o Company Ho’onua Ale’a Koa Uka Pure Heart plus a couple more artists. Those are my favorites, though. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2002, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/5 "2002-06-25T11:40:07Z")
_Hawaiian Swing_ by Big Kahuna & the Copa Cat Pack. ---
**Author:** ![KXL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KXL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KXL)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/6 "2002-06-25T11:58:17Z")
Anything by the mighty \*\* Israel Kamakawiwo’ole \*\* gets almost universal recommendation. His best album was (he died a few years ago – and received a state funeral)\*\* Facing Future\*\*. Here’s an Amazon link [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JFG3/](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JFG3/) You can click on each of the tune samples. If you want to get funky, \*\* Jockey Ryder \*\* is a Hawaiian rapper. Another Amazon link. Check out the samples. “Everybody Loves the Ryder” was a big hit a few years ago. [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003TFST/](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003TFST/) ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/7 "2002-06-25T17:54:59Z")
I bought Facing Future, it’s a great album. Also check out Henry Kopono and Lono. ---
**Author:** ![emolson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@emolson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emolson)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/8 "2002-06-26T05:40:41Z")
Thanks to all who responded. If you think of any more, please post. ---
**Author:** ![Norrybaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9a28c/32.png) [@Norrybaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norrybaby)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/9 "2002-06-26T06:15:18Z")
Not a recent album, but [Chicken Skin Music](http://www.artistdirect.com/store/artist/album/0,,68752,00.html) by **Ry Cooder** was a damn fine album. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-recent-hawaiian-music/115823/10 "2002-06-26T08:05:05Z")
I feel obligated to second **Pure Heart** since I’m friends with the head ukulele guy. It’s been a while since I listened to them, but IIRC they’re a little more “mainstream” than most Hawaiian music. Actually, that’s probably not doing them justice. They’re not “traditional” Hawaiian music as their songs have, IMHO, a more upbeat tempo than is generally attributed to Hawaiian music. This probably means that some regard them as the Backstreet Boys of Hawaiian music, but they have won a number of Hoku awards (the Hawaiian music Grammies), so it’s not as if they’re totally without artistic merit. **Disclaimer:** KKB doesn’t know crap about music. He simply knows what he likes and what he doesn’t.