Harold O.
Well-known member
My family and I will be on Oahu next week for a few days then we're off to the Big Island for a few more. I got looking at a few recommended tour books and this is what I found.
from Hawaii, The Big Island Revealed
The Ultimate Guidebook by Andrew Doughty, 2008:
"Many people picture Hawaiian music as someone twanging away on an 'ukulele with his voice slipping and sliding all over the place like he has an ice cube down his back. In reality, the music here can be outstanding. There is the melodic sound of the more traditional music. There are young local bands putting out modern music with a Hawaiian beat. There is even Hawaiian reggae, Hawaiian Style Band, the late Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (locally known as Bruddah Iz) and Bruddah Walta are excellent examples. Even if you don't agree with all of the messages in the songs, there's no denying the talent of these groups."
This is the only ukulele mention in 300+ pages of the Big Island guidebook. It strikes me as dismissive and condescending of the ukulele. I'm willing to admit that finding a ukulele while in Hawaii is a touristy kind of thing to do, I'm also willing to admit to being a tourist and sometimes digging doing the touristy kind of thing.
Stereotypical though it may be, when folks come to Los Angeles they want to see Hollywood, the Santa Monica pier and Disneyland. When those same people go to Hawaii, they want to see hula girls, surfers and ukuleles. In New York, they're looking for the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State Building. And so on.
So the question is, outside of the UU circles, are ukuleles in Hawaii thought of as offensive touristy things or are they viewed as any other musical instrument?
from Hawaii, The Big Island Revealed
The Ultimate Guidebook by Andrew Doughty, 2008:
"Many people picture Hawaiian music as someone twanging away on an 'ukulele with his voice slipping and sliding all over the place like he has an ice cube down his back. In reality, the music here can be outstanding. There is the melodic sound of the more traditional music. There are young local bands putting out modern music with a Hawaiian beat. There is even Hawaiian reggae, Hawaiian Style Band, the late Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (locally known as Bruddah Iz) and Bruddah Walta are excellent examples. Even if you don't agree with all of the messages in the songs, there's no denying the talent of these groups."
This is the only ukulele mention in 300+ pages of the Big Island guidebook. It strikes me as dismissive and condescending of the ukulele. I'm willing to admit that finding a ukulele while in Hawaii is a touristy kind of thing to do, I'm also willing to admit to being a tourist and sometimes digging doing the touristy kind of thing.
Stereotypical though it may be, when folks come to Los Angeles they want to see Hollywood, the Santa Monica pier and Disneyland. When those same people go to Hawaii, they want to see hula girls, surfers and ukuleles. In New York, they're looking for the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State Building. And so on.
So the question is, outside of the UU circles, are ukuleles in Hawaii thought of as offensive touristy things or are they viewed as any other musical instrument?