1930s – 1970sPeak: 1950s
Hapa-Haole
About Hapa-Haole
Hawaiian popular song with English lyrics and a Hawaiian musical feel, the sound that carried Hawaii to the mainland from the 1920s through the postwar Waikiki era. Steel guitar, ukulele, and hula rhythms backed crooners on radio, television, and hotel stages. Alfred Apaka and Don Ho became its most beloved voices, defining the islands' image for a global audience.