Na Mele O Hawai'i

We pick up our review of hapa-haole music where we left off last week, with the risque tune, "Princess Pupule," sung by Auntie Naughty Abbie. Then we are carried away to the islands by the long-running radio show, "Hawai'i Calls." You can hear the waves rolling right up to the microphone! The show finished out with a number of entertainers that were featured on Hawai'i Calls across the years, including Clara Inter (Hilo Hatiie), Benny Kalama and Alfred Apaka.

Today's "class" begins with Sonny Cunha, the father of hapa-haole music, and includes the very first hapa-haole song, played on an original Edison Amberola. We move on to one of the most popular hapa-haole songs (and winner of the 10th Annual Academy Award for Best Song -- do you know what song it is? Listen in to find out!) and share cuts played by the legends of early hapa-haole music, like Tau Moe, Andy Iona, and John K. Almeida. But we've only gotten halfway. Tune in next week for Part 2 (and the rest of "The Princess's" song...) -- Hawai'i will be "Call"ing.

The first Hawaiians arrived by water craft - huge double-hulled outriggers. Today's Hawaiian culture includes watercraft of all sorts, and this week, we're floating on a raft of songs about some of them: paddleboards, canoes, and steamerships.