Talk Story Archive Topic
What Is Hawaiian Music?
(9 Messages)
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Poster: wendy Subject: What is Hawaiian music? |
Posted on 2/14/01 at 6:33pm |
| What is the proper definition of Hawaiian music? |
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Poster: Marjorie Scott Subject: |
Posted on 2/26/01 at 5:22pm |
| Aloha Wendy, Big subject! Hawaiian music is known and played around the world, and may have as many opinions about what it is as Jazz or Country. Here are the basic ones which we in Hawai'i use or have heard: 1. traditionalists, concerned with historic authenticity, will tell you it's songs composed by Hawaiians in the Hawaiian language. Why? because since before Hawaiian music was written down, and even before Hawaiians had a written language, this was a major communication vehicle. Songs were written to (a) honor a particular person or place, (b) as a love letter couched in terms of nature, (c) tell the story of an event 2. composers and historians (and we who work in the field of Hawaiian music) add that it must have the special rhythmic measure to which Hula can be danced. 3. it is also considered to be any song written about Hawai'i in English as well as Hawaiian. (See the biography of Hall of Fame Honoree, composer R. Alex Anderson). He understood the unique rhythms of Hawaiian music, and how songs were couched in phrases about flowers, trees, and the natural elements. 4. Ethnomusicologists call Hawaiian music "Folk Music", which many consider far too narrow a term as it implies a niche in the field of music, a form presented by a smaller, not popularly known group of special interest people. This is hardly the case in Hawai'i. 5. In other parts of the world, Hawaiian music, both songs and instrumentals is identified by the instruments: 'ukulele, steel guitar and slack key styling of standard guitar. I shall try to get a Hawaiian music teacher to respond also, and hope that your question is fully answered. Thanks for asking it. |
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Poster: Laulani Subject: Hawaiian Music |
Posted on 11/15/02 at 10:58am |
| Margorie, I think you've already given a very definitive answer. Hawaiian music is (or should be) composed in the Hawaiian language. Honolulu City Lights is NOT Hawaiian music. |
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Poster: Marjorie Scott Subject: Honolulu City Lights |
Posted on 11/27/02 at 9:05am |
| Laulani, go back and read #3 in my previous response to "what is Hawaiian music." See the phrase "any song written in English about Hawaii". Traditional Hawaiian music of the renowned and celebrated Hall of Fame honorees of the past is most often in the Hawaiian language. However, Irmgard Aluli wrote several songs in English. Read Sonny Cunha's biography at this site. He was responsible for "hapa haole" songs getting started. Today, many of the contemporary songs about Hawai'i have subject matter which ranges far beyond the use of nature to express love; all of them have a hidden meaning (kaona). Today's songs don't hide anything. Listen to some in English by Eddie Kamae, The Cazimero Brothers, Willie K. , Brudda Iz. They are about Hawai'i, about love, about Hawaiian myths. |
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Poster: Joe B. Subject: My Opinion |
Posted on 4/26/03 at 5:43am |
| I believe as a singer and musician who plays in a hwn show in vegas that hawaiian music is: music composed in hwn or english that promotes Hawaii or tells stories about Hawaiiana. Hwn purists sometimes feel that songs have to be written in Hwn to be considered Hwn music. I feel the audience should understand what the lyrics are saying. What's the big secret? Do you want to be understood? |
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Poster: Shirley Walk Subject: Hawaiian Music |
Posted on 4/27/03 at 7:09pm |
| Hawaiian Music is uplifting. In Hawaiian it tells about the beautiful mountains, flowers, people, water falls, ocean,lovers and just every day life with the Aloha Spirit. There isn't any other music so relaxing, tranquil that makes you feel so loved as the good old Hawaiian Meles. Aloha Nui Loa and Mahalo for your web site. Kanoelani. I am 73 and still study hula with my friends in Newport Beach. |
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Poster: Mike Pendergrass Email: mpend@concentric.net Subject: Hawaiian or Hawaii Music? |
Posted on 3/21/04 at 9:12pm |
I understand it this way: Hawaiian music is made by hawaiians in hawaiian. Hawaii music is in any other language or country. Just my two cents. |
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Poster: Kenneth Makuakane Email: makuakane@hawaii.rr.com Subject: Hawaiian Music |
Posted on 5/24/04 at 1:31am |
I just found this website, so excuse me for joining the discussion so late. This is a subject that has been circulating endlessly with committes that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of. The discussion was based on entrance into the Grammy Awards. There are several factors that are taken into consideration by the Grammy board. One factor is the definition of Hawaiian music. Like everything else in life, we become railroaded into defining our existence. The Hawaii Music Industry consists of many Hawaiian, as well as non-Hawaiian ethnicities. It is truly a travesty, when we as Hawaiians are not given the RESPECT of self-determination. As long as I live, I will not allow others to tell me who I am. It is so easy to determine funk music, R&B, do-wop, even "Hapa Haole" music. Why is it so hard to see what true Hawaiian music really is? We Hawaiians have already defined the music. Commercial infestation has only diluted the uninformed audience's mind. We must always remember that it is not only the audience that is important when it comes to Hawaiian or any other cultural music. It is all about the prservation and perpetuation of the culture's language. History continues to show that when cultures lose their language, they lose their soul and eventually become integrated into their new host culture. The Incan culture, among other lost languages, is a great example of what will happen when language is suppressed into final extinction. Like Jazz, Rock and Country music, Hawaii's music is also broken down into categories. The predominant styles are Jawaiian (Reggae-based), Island Style (Island version pop), Hapa Haole (English lyrics, usually about Hawaii) and Hawaiian Music: again broken into several categories; hula, lu'au chalangalang, traditional easy listening, etc. I apologize for the lengthy and obviously biased comments, but I hope it will stimulate further conversations. Malama pono |
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Poster: Jesse Tinsley Email: jessehj@imbris.com Subject: Hawaiian music |
Posted on 11/14/04 at 7:24pm |
I appreciate Kenneth Makuakane's comments on the definition of Hawaiian music. He has produced some of the best of Hawaiian music in recent memory. Hawaiian music has become varied because of who writes it, who performs it, who the audience is. Because the Hawaiian language is the thread that ties modern Hawaii to ancient Hawaii, the language carries with it, in every syllable and phrase, the history of the Hawaiian people--the joy, the suffering, the disappearing culture. And the intended audience for Hawaiian language music is native Hawaiian people and Hawaii-philes. So when a song is labeled "Hawaiian", no matter how popular it becomes, but is sung in English, it doesn't have the weight of history and culture behind it. But beautiful songs about Hawaii written in English continues to captivate non-Hawaiians because Hawaii still conjures up visions of a tropical paradise and gives people a few moments of escapism to enjoy. And Hawaiian musicians have benefited from hapa-haole music via the tourism industry. So I think you have to respect both styles of music for the joy they give to their respective audiences. I like Hawaiian style music in English because it is accessible to non-Hawaiian speakers. Right now I'm listening to Sudden Rush's hiphop remix of Gabby Pahinui's "Hiilawe". Bizarre but very cool. Jesse |
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