Hawaiian Music

Now that Hawaii is more famous (beyond the sandy beaches) with the election of Barack Obama, it's important to understand the culture in the best Hawaiian music. Since the dawn of man, music has shaped, rallied and given reason to many of the ideas celebrated today. African-Americans can relate to some of the old spirituals. Irish-Americans have their traditional festivities and drinking songs. The same goes for Native-American Indians and other ethnic groups which comprise this great nation. But what about Hawaii? Let's take a look at some of the best Hawaiian songs written through the years.

1. "Honolulu City Lights," Keola Beamer- 1978. Most visitors of this beach paradise recognize Honolulu as one of the premier destinations on the island. However, it's the residents that have a strong relation to this song. Only when you spend time in a city can you begin to "smell the air" and get a sense of its true meaning. As mentioned by Keola Beamer, who wrote this song, “I’m a Hawaiian through and through, and it’s difficult to leave the place you love, and so the first seeds of that song were planted in my heart right then, as I looked out over the city from Alewa Heights.”

2. "Hawaii Aloha," Rev. Lorenzo Lyons- 1800's. Take a trip back to the 19th century and see what the buzz is about. This song started out as a religious anthem and is not characterized by what we traditionally know Hawaii as. Yet, it was one of the first songs written about an area before statehood and Western colonization.

3. "Ke Kali Nei Au," Charles E. King- 1925. Get married on this tropical paradise, and this is what you'll most likely hear in the background (or front, whichever you want.) Despite being known as the Hawaiian Wedding Song, "Ke Kali Nei Au," this tune mentions nothing about marriage. Who cares? Not many wedding songs do. But words like, "sweetheart, you are so precious," have helped this one stand the test of time.

4. "Aloha Oe," Queen Liliuokalani - 1878. Further down on our list, but by no means less popular. Any Hawaiian airport, hotel, restaurant, meeting place, bon fire (you name it) will feature this song. Most music historians consider this the first song to achieve major recognition outside of traditional Hawaiian circles. Everyone knows it. Everyone sings it. That's how it goes when you write one of the best Hawaiian songs.

5. "Beyond the Reef," Jack Pitman, 1948. Written a few years after one of Hawaii's toughest challenges, "Beyond the Reef" helped characterize Hawaii in a way no song had really ever done. Bing Cosby set the song soaring in the 1950s and Elvis Presley pushed it towards stardom after the King's 1960s recording. It should suffice to say that this song is still alive and will be forever listed as one of the best songs in Hawaiian music.