Hawaiian Folk Music

Resources:  Wikipedia, Hawaiian Music Store.com and Hawaiian Song Lyrics.

Hawaiian music ranges between native Hawaiian music to modern rock and hip hop. Places around the world are known for their slack-key guitar while Hawaii likes Hollywood soundtracks. They also have a contribution to country music and like the steel guitar. Hawaiian folk music is a big part in their musical heritage. It is also very religious in nature to them. They chant and dance to their music. Hawaii also has music festivals with hula dancers that come from all around the world. They also have hotels with music shows in the morning and evening. Also there is a place called the University Theater that has 600 hundred seats in the largest venue of Hawaii. In Hawaii they have many more places you can go to enjoy the nice sound of Hawaiian folk songs and seeing hula dancers dance. An important part of Hawaii’s music history is the Honululu Symphony Orchestra.

Folk music has many different chants. Also is not really considered music but their vocabulary describes rhythm, instruments, styles and voice production. The music is simple but also rich and complex. The music is usually accompanied by a double gourd and sharkskin covered drum. During the chants they also have hula dancers, dancing a certain number for a certain song. Some songs are about flowers or other things and one is…Protea
By Keith Haugen
Protea, pua nani o Maui
Flower of Heaven
Protea, lovely queen of the flowers
Your name, for a god it was given
And you are soft as the morning mist on the mountains
Silky as a baby's hair
Like tails of precious mink and ermine
Your beauty is so rare
Like rays of golden summer sunshine
Graceful as a bird in flight
Red like the fire of volcanoes
And fireworks in the night
Protea, pretty flower of Maui
Flower of Heaven
Protea, most exotic of blossoms
Your name, for a god it was given
And you are soft as feathers, pink and white
With shimmering silver hair
Ageless, endless, everlasting
Your beauty is so rare
Exotic shapes in many sizes
Colors of every hue
Your beauty doesn't fade
Like the other flowers do
Protea, pua nani o Maui
Flower of Heaven
Protea, ever-changing beauty
Your name, for a god it was given
Protea, protea, protea
I want to touch you.
Copyright 1986, C. Keith Haugen  There is also other music that refers to specific names, prayer, surfing and others such as maybe plants or animals. Another song about a flower would be…Crown Flower
(Pua Karauna)
Composed by Keith Haugen
Crown flower
Favorite of Lili`uokalani
Flower of Hawai`i
Strung into a lei
Lei of Hawai`i
Crown flower
You are a beautiful lei
My favorite (plaything)
You're my favorite
Beautiful encircling lei
Crown flower
Favorite of Lili`uokalani
Tell the refrain
Little flower
Lei of Lili`uokalani
Crown flower
Copyright 1978, C. Keith Haugen 
Some more information about Hawaiian music would be later in the years Hawaii introduced different styles of music. Such as European music, Spanish speaking music and let string instruments, like the guitar come in to play. Also falsetto singing while Portuguese people brought the ukulele. They also had a certain period for European music and it quickly spread across the islands. Later Hawaiian music integrated into the American bored and became popular there as well. In 1930 to 1960 was an era that was called the “Golden Age of Hawaiian music.” Hawaii had their last queen named Lili’uokalani and she was also a song writer and professional musician.  Hawaii is technically known for their music so I would like to share another song…`O Ka Lei La`i
(the Ti Leaf Lei)
Translation
By Keith Haugen
The ti leaf lei is entwined
With a variety of pretty flowers
The ti leaf lei is entwined
With the beautiful flowers of Hawai`i
A common lei today
Given with love
A long lasting green lei
Like true love
Let' you and I select some flowers
And weave them with moist leaves
A sign of our love
Like a ti leaf lei forever.
Copyright 1999, C. Keith Haugen
Critique: Hawaii is the perfect place to go if you want to listen to beautiful music and be entertained by hula dancers. So personally I think people that want to listen to gorgeous music and have a great time, they need to go to Hawaii.
Impact: Hawaiian has done a great deal to the world. It showed the uniqueness of Hawaii and showed others their way of life and how diverse  their culture is from others.