Hawaiian Music and Musicians (Ka Mele Hawaiʻi A Me Ka Poʻe Mele): An Encyclopedic History, Second Edition. Edited by Dr. George S. Kanahele

Abstract

The first edition of Hawaiian Music and Musicians was published in 1979. It was the result of years of research by Dr. George S. Kanahele, the Hawaiian Music Foundation, and many other contributors. It represented the first comprehensive examination of Hawaiian music and was intended to address the paucity of reliable and accessible information about Hawaiian music, its history, evolution, and significant performers and contributors. The long-overdue second edition of this text was published in 2012, with music and entertainment journalist John Berger providing the majority of the revision and additions. This review provides an overview of the first edition and summarizes two academic critiques of the text. It then documents the revisions and additions to the second edition, highlights several significant issues and shortcomings found in the text, and offers suggestions for Berger’s promised third edition.