The Music of Polynesia

During the month of May, we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month by recognizing the contributions that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders have made to our culture and country. Here at Classical California, what better way to celebrate than with a playlist?

American composer Dan Welcher’s Haleakalā: How Maui Snared the Sun was commissioned by the Honolulu Symphony. Informed by his experience as composer in residence with the orchestra, this tone poem retells one of the most famous myths of the Polynesian demigod Maui, known as “the trickster,” drawing on three ancient Hawaiian chant-tunes, authentic percussion instruments, and six Polynesian scales.

The Liliʻuokalani Symphony is the First Symphony of Argentine-American composer Lalo Schifrin. Commissioned by her family, it honors the memory of Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last Queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii, a composer, a conservationist, and a leader who sacrificed her crown to protect her people.

In the 1870s, Portuguese immigrants brought an instrument to Hawaii that would eventually become the ukulele. The word translates to “jumping flea” in Hawaiian, a nod to how quickly performers move their fingers. It became a staple of hula accompaniment. One of its pioneering soloists was Eddie Kamae, who in 1960 formed the Sons of Hawaii, a group that helped rekindle interest in traditional Hawaiian music across the islands.

One of Kamae's students, Herb Ohta, went on to release over 50 albums in the United States and Japan. This track comes from his album Ukulele Bach (2000).

Israel Kamakawiwoʻole is the best-selling Hawaiian singer of the modern era, beloved both globally and deeply within the Hawaiian community. Standing six-foot-two and over 700 pounds, Braddah IZ sang in a smooth, full-bodied tenor perfectly suited for both harmony and lead vocals, accompanying himself on ukulele, a quintessentially Hawaiian approach.

Jake Shimabukuro is an ukulele virtuoso whose playing has inspired a new generation of performers. Of Japanese American descent, he first went viral in 2005 when a YouTube video of his ukulele version of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” racked up over seven million views. He has since performed alongside Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, and Ziggy Marley.

Aunty Genoa Keawe was a legendary figure in Hawaiian music, a mainstay on the scene for more than 60 years. Her song “Alika” is famous for its extraordinarily sustained vocal notes, and local legend has it that it held the record for the longest note ever recorded. At least, that’s what you tell the kids.

Dennis Pavao was one of several Hawaiian musicians who sparked a cultural renaissance in the 1970s, reviving traditional Hawaiian music and in particular leo ki'eki'e, or Hawaiian falsetto singing.

The trio Keauhou are a modern example of leo ki'eki'e. That distinctive Hawaiian sound is made up of falsetto vocals, slack-key guitar, steel guitar, ukulele, and percussion instruments like the ipu gourd.

Music was central to Disney's 2002 film Lilo & Stitch, the story of an orphaned Hawaiian girl and her pet alien. Score composer Alan Silvestri collaborated with Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu, a Hawaiian music artist who ran a hula studio in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hoʻomalu brought old chants to life with expanded melody and harmony, and Silvestri wove them into music with genuine cinematic scope.

In Samoan culture, traditional tattoos, or tatau, are a sacred expression of cultural heritage and personal honor. The tattooing process can be extremely painful, and family members gather nearby to offer encouragement, often through song. “Pese o le Tatau” is said to descend from pre-colonial chant, kept alive through oral tradition.

Arthur Lyman was a Hawaiian jazz vibraphonist and marimba player whose group popularized exotica, a style of lush, faux-Polynesian music, in the 1950s and 60s, along with jazz standards, traditional Hawaiian songs, and occasionally Western Classical works. “Yellow Bird” remained the group's top single, charting at number four in 1961.

As we celebrate the many cultures that make up Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage, we hope this small sample of Polynesian music brings you joy. From ancient chant to modern virtuosity, there is so much more to discover.