A recent 10 day visit to the Big Island of Hawaii spurred an interest in Hawaiian music and culture, so I did some research and produced a travelogue of the Big Island in traditional Hawaiian music. The big Island offers dramatic volcanic landscapes as well as iconic Hawaiian tranquil beaches and palm trees, with hikes that go from enchanting tree-fern laced rain forests to vast barren volcanic flows. There are spectacular waterfalls, tropical birds, flowers and trees, stars, and beautiful sunsets. All smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean yet here in the U.S.
My favorite Hawaiian music style is slack key guitar, which is featured in most of the music in this program. You’ll hear traditional and contemporary songs, and artists from the days of slack keys origins in the 1960s to today’s best interpreters of traditional Hawaiian songs.
I hope you enjoy this musical adventure to the tropical paradise of Hawaii.
- KBOO