Hawaiian Arts & Music
Hawaiian culture has its roots in Polynesia, but over the years has been greatly influenced the the diverse influx of immigrants including Chinese, Japanese and American. This has resulted in a true 'melting pot' affecting all sectors of today's Hawaiian culture.
Music
The musical instrument most closely associated with Hawaii is probably the steel guitar, an instrument designed by a native Hawaiian in the late 1880s. It is usually played 'slack-key' style giving it that distinctive sound.
The ukulele, also strongly identified with Hawaiian music, was originally based on a Portuguese instrument brought to Hawaii in the 19th century. In Hawaiian, the word ukelele means 'jumping flea', which makes a lot of sense when you hear it being played!
When it comes to truly native instruments there are two traditionally used during courting: the ohe, a bamboo nose flute and the ukeke, a bow with a couple of strings.
The pahu hula is a knee drum, traditionally made from a breadfruit or coconut log covered with a shark skin head. It was originally used only at hula performances. Other hula instruments include ke laau sticks, iliili stone castanets and two types of rattles, puili made from bamboo and uliuli made from gourds decorated with feathers.
Dance
The early missionaries to arrive in Hawaii banned the ancient hula because they found it too raunchy for their puritan tastes! The art form, which depicts historical events and local stories, was forced underground by the Europeans but was revived by King Kalakaua in the latter half of the 19th century.
There are many different schools of hula, all very disciplined in their movements. Each movement of the face, eyes, hands, hips and feet has a meaning and is used to convey different aspects of a story.
Dances can be mesmerising and graceful as well as adrenalin pumping and frenetic, depending on the story being portrayed.
Fashion
The unofficial native Hawaiian costume must surely be an Aloha shirt and "slippahs", which is what the locals call flip-flops. While casual is the order of the day, a genuine Aloha print garment is a thing of true beauty and meaning. Storytelling through fashion is an art form in itself.
Art
There are many artists in Hawaii, some local, others drawn by the beauty of the islands. While there is a fair amount of the "chocolate box" type of art on offer in many of the main street galleries, it is well worth looking further and you will find some really creative contemporary art works, often based on the flora and fauna of Hawaii.
Crafts
Wood sculptures, drawings, photographs all feature too, as well as crafts such as ceramics, carvings and weavings from native fibres. Quilting is 
another unique art form, introduced by the early missionaries. Apparently the eminently practical Hawaiians didn't see much point in cutting up large bits of cloth into little bits only to sew them back together again! Instead they came up with their own method using larger pieces of cloth, making up their own designs, typically of stylised tropical flora on a white background.
The making of floral leis is a more transient art form, lasting only a few days. The most common type are made from the gorgeous smelling plumeria flowers, but traditional varieties made from nuts, berries, leaves and even feathers were often worn in ancient times. Nowadays, long-lasting leis made from shells and beads are also available for visitors to take home.
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Hawaii Island Information
Keep your fresh floral lei in the fridge in your room during the day and it will last for several days. A lei should be draped evenly around your neck, dropping the same depth across your back and chest, not worn all in front like a necklace.
Great Value Hawaii in 2010!If we find cheaper prices on your travel dates we'll pass the savings on to you!
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