Music of Hawaii

music · hawaii · guitar · culture

Slack-key guitar. This Hawaiian style of guitar playing uses an open tuning and creates a warm, flowing sound that became famous worldwide. You can hear it in movies and on the radio today.

Steel guitar invention. Hawaii introduced the steel guitar to country music in the early 1900s, and it became a signature sound of Nashville and Western music. A metal bar sliding across the strings creates that smooth, singing tone.

Native Hawaiian traditions. Long before modern instruments, Hawaiian people created their own folk music and traditions that are still celebrated and performed on the islands today.

Hollywood's Hawaiian sound. Filmmakers love using Hawaiian-tinged music in movies because it instantly creates a tropical, relaxed feeling that audiences recognize and enjoy.

Cachi cachi music. When Puerto Ricans came to Hawaii in the early 1900s, they brought their music traditions, and a new style called cachi cachi music was born on the islands.