Pu‘uwai Haokila: The Story of How Hawai‘i Shaped Modern Music

The documentary Pu‘uwai Haokila: The Story of How Hawai‘i Shaped Modern Music tells the untold story of how the Aloha State has significantly influenced the modern music landscape, despite facing its share of local challenges. Through the expert narration of Raiatea Helm, a renowned Hawaiian musician and vocalist, the film sheds light on the profound impact Hawai‘i has had on music across the world. The film begins by delving into the early days of Hawaiian music, which dates back to the islands' rich cultural heritage. The islands' native music, which is characterized by melodic vocals and traditionally made instruments like the ukulele, was born out of the Polynesian people's deep connection with the land, the sea, and their ancestors. As the islands were colonized, their unique music developed and spread, subtly changing the trajectory of global music. One pivotal moment in the development of Hawaiian music came with the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i in 1893. The subsequent loss of sovereignty led to a wave of social and economic upheaval, forcing many Native Hawaiians to seek opportunities abroad. These displaced sons and daughters of the islands, drawn by the allure of capitalism and innovation, played a crucial role in popularizing Hawaiian music globally. Musicians like King Kalakaua and Queen Lili‘uokalani brought their native songs to the world stage during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their melodious voices captivated audiences worldwide, and soon popular genres like hula blues, Hawaiian folk, and island jazz began to take shape. Meanwhile, Asian immigrants to Hawai‘i, drawn by the opportunity for labor and prosperity, brought their musical traditions to the islands, incorporating them into existing Hawai‘i music styles. During the mid-20th century, musicians from various eras converged on the Hawaiian Islands, converging their creative selves in some cases. Artists such as Bing Crosby, 'Amelia' Ilona Ingmire - a pianist who performed with the Hawai‘i Five-O television program, The Brothers Cazimero and others experimented with fusing global styles, incorporating the lilting melodies of traditional Hawaiian music. This synthesis earned them great success across the United States. The next chapter in Hawai‘i's rich musical history unfolded at the fringes of society. Beats-based and R&B subcultures gradually percolated in response to immigration, shifting local conditions plus blending international styles fueled new periods of cultural transformation. Rhythms like hula, rocksteady, and reggae appeared, spreading the roots and rhythmical stylings of Caribbean cultures formed at the crossroads of the industrial modern and the rural past. In this process, Hawaiian expressions like the mele o' the people - songs commonly expressed at weddings, commonwealth church meetings started by early European arrivals in 19th-century, and the songs still alive now gradually became powerful instruments of folk protest. Despite suffering a series of island-hating occupations— and, just as devastating, as recent island activities show like the erosion of Native Hawaiian rights and resources—Hawaiian music unexpectedly found a thriving community away from the increasingly powerless local realities and historical failures around it. Such island protest music continues now to assert its own roots and the expression of these musical traditions since the mid of the last two centuries. In contemporary Hawai‘i, the music scene has continued to thrive and diversify. The local presence is proud of their traditions despite the threat of gentrification, gentrification encroaches more significantly. Key innovators in creating a vibrant, diverse music industry such as Jack Johnson continue drawing from Hawai‘i's traditional songbook to produce an eclectic sound, inviting the local spirit to integrate regional influences and modern sensibilities. The documentary Pu‘uwai Haokila: The Story of How Hawai‘i Shaped Modern Music skillfully crafts a compelling journey of discovery, tracing the connections between music, history, and individual experience through the voices of people from different cultural backgrounds. Raiatea Helm's charismatic presentation and clear, compassionate delivery brings this critical period to life, highlighting the myriad influences on modern music, forged by artists in response to challenging circumstances, and nurtured by the islands' enduring creative spirit. In doing so, Pu‘uwai Haokila provides a richly textured, forward-thinking look at the integral role of Hawaii in shaping the global music scene. Incorporating fresh video footage, photographs, interviews, and music clips, this documentary reminds viewers that Hawai‘i, situated precisely at the crossroads of East and West, continues to define global music through the dynamic interplay between its melodic, lyrical traditions, heartfelt historical tales; bringing that vitality, into our music.