Music of America: Hawaii

Aloha everyone, and welcome to the next stop on our American Musical Tour! This week, we're visiting the lovely island state of Hawaii. Nicknamed The Aloha State, Paradise of the Pacific, The Islands of Aloha, and the 808 State, Hawaii is the most recent state to join the Union, becoming America's 50th state in 1959. My husband and I honeymooned in Hawaii, and though we only were able to spend time on the island of Oahu we cannot wait to go back and explore more of this beautiful place. Let's see what's up on our fact dump:

-Capital City: Honolulu

-Area: 10,931 square miles (America's 7th smallest state)

-Population: 1,446,146 as of 2024 (America's 40th most populated state)

-Big 4 Major League Professional Sports Teams (Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey): 0/4

-Named College: University of Hawaii (est. 1907, Honolulu, HI)

-State Bird: Nēnē (aka the Hawaiian Goose)

-State Flower: Yellow Hibiscus

-State Butterfly: Kamehameha Butterfly

-State Tree: Kukui Tree (aka Candlenut Tree)

-State Gemstone: Black Coral

-State Dog: n/a, but the (sadly extinct) Hawaiian Poi Dog is an important dog in Hawaiian culture

-State Quarter: Released November 2008 (includes the iconic Hawaiian monarch King Kamehameha I alongside the eight Hawaiian islands)

Like in previous iterations, we'll be looking at artists that were born and bands that were established in Hawaii. This is obviously not all of them, but it's a great group to explore and learn more about.

Let's get started!

Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler (written by J. Silbar, L. Henley)

Bette Midler was born in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii in December 1945. The Hawaiian actress/singer/comedian/author is only an Academy Award away from joining the prestigious EGOT club. Trained on vocals and ukulele, Midler typically focuses on genres like traditional pop, vocal, pop, and musical comedy. Over her incredible six decade career, she has won 3 Emmys, 3 Grammys, 2 Tonys, and released fourteen solo studio albums. Her cover of Wind Beneath My Wings was originally featured on the soundtrack for the 1988 film Beaches, peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. So many people from my generation know Midler from Hocus Pocus, but for me, she'll always be Georgette from Oliver & Company. She may not always have my favorite style of vocals, but there's no denying that the woman is legendary.

It must have been cold there in my shadow/To never have sunlight on your face/You were content to let me shine, that’s your way/You always walked a step behind/So I was the one with all the glory while you were the one with all the strength/A beautiful face without a name for so long/A beautiful smile to hide the pain/Did you ever know that you’re my hero/And everything I would like to be/I can fly higher than an eagle/For you are the wind beneath my wings

When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars (written by P. Hernandez, A. Wyatt, A. Levine, P. Lawrence)

Peter Hernandez, better known professionally as Bruno Mars, was born in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii in October 1985. The Hawaiian singer/songwriter/record producer started his career as an Elvis impersonator and is now one of pop music's biggest acts as well as half of the Grammy award winning duo Silk Sonic. Gifted at vocals, guitar, piano, keys, drums, bass, ukulele, and congas, Mars has permeated the genres of pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, and rock. Throughout his thirty-five year career, he has won 16 Grammys and released three solo studio albums. When I Was Your Man was originally featured on his 2012 album Unorthodox Jukebox, peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been certified 11x Platinum by the RIAA. This is one of Mars's best songs in my opinion, and it still holds up after over a decade. The piano and vocals are just so good, and it's a great karaoke song.

Same bed, but it feels just a little bit bigger now/Our song on the radio, but it don’t sound the same/When our friends talk about you, all it does is just tear me down/‘Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name/It all just sounds like ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh/Mm, too young, too dumb to realize/That I should’ve bought you flowers and held your hand/Should’ve gave you all my hours when I had the chance/Take you to every party, ‘cause all you wanted to do was dance/Now my baby’s dancing, but she’s dancing with another man

Tiny Bubbles by Don Ho (written by L. Pober, H. Barnum)

Donald "Don" Ho was born in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii in August 1930. The Hawaiian singer/musician had a rich cultural background of Native Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, and German descent, was a graduate of the University of Hawaii Class of 1953, and served in the US Air Force. A talented singer, Ho graced the genres of traditional pop and Hawaiian Music. Over his forty-eight year career, he released seven studio albums before his death in 2007 at age 76. Tiny Bubbles was originally featured on his 1966 album of the same name and is his most well known song. I found this one a few years ago when I was doing some research for AAPI Heritage month and I really enjoyed it. It's classic '60s traditional pop, a very easy listen that you can imagine playing at a dinner party.

Tiny bubbles in the wine/Make me happy, make me feel fine/Tiny bubbles make me warm all over/With a feeling that I’m gonna love you ’til the end of time/So here’s to the golden noon and here’s to the silver sea/And mostly, here’s a toast to you and me

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (written by H. Arlen, E. Harburg)

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, sometimes known professionally as IZ, was born in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii in May 1959. The Hawaiian musician/singer/activist is widely regarded as the best known, most successful, and one of the most beloved musicians from the islands. A gifted vocalist and ukulele player, IZ explored genres such as jazz, reggae, Hawaiian, folk, and world music. Over his twenty-one year career, he released four studio albums and was a vocal activist for Hawaiian rights before his death in 1997 at age 38. Somewhere Over the Rainbow, his famous cover of the classic song from The Wizard of Oz, was originally featured on his 1990 album Facing Future. I've always enjoyed this version; it's so sweet and soft, and honors the original while being something totally unique on its own. It's also a great starter song to teach students on the ukulele as I was able to discover.

Somewhere over the rainbow/Way up high/And the dreams that you dream of/Once in a lullaby, aye/Oh, somewhere over the rainbow/Blue birds fly/And the dreams that you dream of/Dreams really do come true, ooh/Someday I’ll wish upon a star/And wake up where the clouds are far behind me/Where trouble melts like lemon drops/High above the chimney top/That's where you’ll find me

Upside Down by Jack Johnson (written by J. Johnson)

Jack Johnson was born in North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii in May 1975. The Hawaiian singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/professional surfer/filmmaker also co-founded the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation and the Kōkua Hawaii Foundation with his wife Kim and is the son of professional surfer Jeff Johnson. Proficient on vocals, guitar, ukulele, and keys, Johnson is known for genres such as rock, surf rock, soft rock, folk rock, and folk pop. Through his thirty-three year career, he has been nominated for two Grammys and released nine studio albums. Upside Down was originally featured on his 2006 soundtrack Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George. I fell in love with this song as a teenager when we took my little brother to see the Curious George movie, and I still love it and sing it to my own daughter now. It's so sweet, simple, fun, and nostalgic, and Johnson's vocals are just so easy to listen to.

Who’s to say what’s impossible/Well, they forgot this world keeps spinning/And with each new day, I can feel a change in everything/And as the surface breaks, reflections fade/But in some ways, they remain the same/And as my mind begins to spread its wings/There’s no stopping curiosity/I want to turn the whole thing upside down/I’ll find the things they say just can’t be found/I’ll share this love I find with everyone/We’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s songs/I don’t want this feeling to go away

Hawai'i Pono'ī by Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus (written by D. Kalākaua, H. Berger)

Hawai'i Pono'ī (Hawaii's Own in English) is the official state song of Hawaii. With lyrics written by King David Kalākaua and music composed by Captain Henri Berger, the song served as the national anthem of the Kingdom and Republic of Hawaii, being aadopted in 1876. After Hawaii joined the Union in 1959, it was kept on as the state anthem. I love the children's chorus version of this song, it just really adds something special to it. An English translation of the original Hawaiian lyrics is listed below.

Hawaii's own/Loyal to thy king be/Thine only ruling chief/Thy liege and lord/Royal father/Kamehameha/We shall defend/With the spear

If I Can't Have You by Yvonne Elliman (written by M. Gibb, B. Gibb, R. Gibb)

Yvonne Elliman was born in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii in December 1951. The Hawaiian singer/songwriter/actress is probably best known for originating the role of Mary Magdalene in Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical Jesus Christ Superstar. A talented singer, Elliman also plays piano and guitar and usually performs genres like Broadway, disco, and pop. Through her thirty-two year career, she has released seven solo studio albums. Her version of If I Can't Have You was originally featured on the soundtrack for the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever and peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Elliman has a really lovely voice that flatters both the disco and Broadway genres. She was also able to make a comeback in 2004 after a long hiatus to take care of her family, which I have crazy respect for her for.

Don’t know why I’m surviving every lonely day/When there’s got to be no chance for me/My life would end, and it does’t matter how I cry/My tears of love are a waste of time if I turn away/Am I strong enough to see it through/Go crazy is what I will do/If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby/If I can’t have you, ahh, oh/If I can't have you, I don’t want nobody, baby/If I can’t have you, ahh, oh

I hope you had a great time exploring this music today, and maybe you were as surprised as I was to see some of these musicians hailing from this incredible state. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!