Listen to the beautiful sound of Hawaiian music
The vivid music of the Aloha State is an exotic blend of various influences including peaceful rhythms and flowing lyrics that truly celebrate island life. Hawaiian music is full of variety, including slack-key, reggae, falsetto, steel guitar, and Jawaiian. Tourists would enjoy the musical traditions of the Hawaiian Islands and it is definitely nothing like any other musical culture in the entire world. The ukulele is the quintessential icon of Hawaiian music and is also highly identified with the islands. The splendor of the Hawaiian Islands has inspired some of the most distinctive and elegant rhythms, forever immortalized in song or mele.
It’s virtually impossible for travelers to Hawaii not to be influenced by its local music scene. The various musical influences that were brought to the islands actually came from various international countries and this was in the middle of the 19th century. As the ancient locals discovered how to play the different musical instruments given to them by the immigrants, the native Hawaiians were able to develop their musical skills. When the olis or ancient chants were initially set to music, they quickly gained acceptance in the community.
It was King David Kalakaua, the Hawaiian monarch regarded as the undisputed Renaissance man, who truly supported a musical revival. As its ruler, he called on all the locals of the islands to make use of music to express their Hawaiian pride. Hawaiian music achieved unprecedented popularity as soon as Queen Liliuokalani, who was the last ruler of the islands, published several of her compositions during the 19th century. Several songs, such as He Mele Lahui Hawaii and the world famous Aloha Oe, conveyed her Hawaiian pride and her love for her beautiful islands.
The composers of the music of the islands acquired a series of influences and mixed them. In the process of combining those influences, the musicians were able to create really refreshing and unique sounds. Some musical genres that may have inspired Hawaiian composers were pop, ragtime, gospel, country western, jazz, and swing.
Today, visitors and locals alike can enjoy the exotic and danceable tunes of Jawaiian music, which is a blend of Jamaican reggae and Hawaiian sounds. This type of music uses upbeat and catchy melodies meant to celebrate life in the Hawaiian Islands and also spread positive energies.
For travelers in the state who want to listen to Hawaiian music, they can simply turn on their radio in Hawaii. There are several local radio stations that play entirely island music. There are also numerous local venues on different islands that host live Hawaiian music performances. You can also attend some major festivals like the Molokai Music Festival, the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, the Oahu Steel Guitar Association Festival, or even the Slack Key Guitar Festival on the Big Island. Many hotels in Hawaii also have some weekend musical performances for their guests. No tourist should leave the Hawaiian Islands without experiencing firsthand the wondrous sounds of the island’s rhythmic music.