Traditional Hawaiian Chants
Hawaiian chants tell stories. Chants were the Hawaiians' ways of passing down legends by word of mouth as well as one of the major forms of entertainment. Chants are also paired with the traditional Hawaiian dance of hula. Hula allows a viewer to watch the story happen in front of him or her. Some chants and hulas have been passed down through the generations and are still around today. For every generation, a kumu hula, or hula teacher, teaches his or her halau, or hula troop, the chants and dances from the very beginning of their creation.
The Instruments
Ukulele:
The ukulele is an instrument similar to the guitar. It takes its roots from the Portuguese and has found a niche in the Hawaiian culture. Many children in Hawaii take ukulele lessons at one point or another, and many Hawaiian musicians use the ukulele.
Slack key guitar (ki ho’alu):
A solo picked style of guitar unique to Hawaii. Many different tunings cane come out of this guitar, and through experimentation, each musician finds a tuning that works for him or her. This is a more modern introduction into the Hawaiian culture.
Ipu:
Gourds polished and smoothed with sandpaper that are hollowed out and have a hole cut at the top. They usually resemble a figure 8 shape, but can vary greatly is size. Ipu are percussion instruments used to keep the beat of a hula dance while the ipu player chants in Hawaiian. It was a very popular instrument for the ancient Hawaiians to tell their stories and provide entertainment.
The ukulele is an instrument similar to the guitar. It takes its roots from the Portuguese and has found a niche in the Hawaiian culture. Many children in Hawaii take ukulele lessons at one point or another, and many Hawaiian musicians use the ukulele.
Slack key guitar (ki ho’alu):
A solo picked style of guitar unique to Hawaii. Many different tunings cane come out of this guitar, and through experimentation, each musician finds a tuning that works for him or her. This is a more modern introduction into the Hawaiian culture.
Ipu:
Gourds polished and smoothed with sandpaper that are hollowed out and have a hole cut at the top. They usually resemble a figure 8 shape, but can vary greatly is size. Ipu are percussion instruments used to keep the beat of a hula dance while the ipu player chants in Hawaiian. It was a very popular instrument for the ancient Hawaiians to tell their stories and provide entertainment.
Popular Music
Probably one of the most noted Hawaiian musicians is the late Israel Kamakawiwo’ole who sings a version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that incorporates some Hawaiian flair. His main instrument is a ukulele, and you can watch the video below.
Though Bruno Mars does not sing Hawaiian music, he was born and raised in Hawai'i. He even threw a shaka to his family and friends in Hawai'i when he won an award at the American Music Awards. Another world famous musician from Hawai'i is Jack Johnson. He is known for his amazingly calm and soothing music which is a characteristic of most modern Hawaiian music. Other noted Hawaiian musicians include Jake Shimabukuro, a master ukulele player known all over the world for his fast fingers, and Jasmine Trias and Camille Velasco, American Idol top 12 contestants on Season three.
The list of local celebrities goes on further to include artists and bands like Kolohe Kai, Anuhea, the Opihi Pickers, Keali'i Reichel, and the Brothers Cazimero. Traditional Hawaiian music consists mostly of chants, but the pace and tone of them can vary greatly to create many emotions for story telling, which is what hula tries to accomplish. Modern Hawaiian music can be more upbeat or can be more calming. We even have our own Christmas songs including a pidgin version of the "12 Days of Christmas," and an original Hawaiian song called "Mele Kalikimaka" which means Merry Christmas in the language.
The list of local celebrities goes on further to include artists and bands like Kolohe Kai, Anuhea, the Opihi Pickers, Keali'i Reichel, and the Brothers Cazimero. Traditional Hawaiian music consists mostly of chants, but the pace and tone of them can vary greatly to create many emotions for story telling, which is what hula tries to accomplish. Modern Hawaiian music can be more upbeat or can be more calming. We even have our own Christmas songs including a pidgin version of the "12 Days of Christmas," and an original Hawaiian song called "Mele Kalikimaka" which means Merry Christmas in the language.