Top 10 Hawaiian Music and Dance Essentials
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1. Pahu
Perhaps the most sacred of hula implements, pahu are drums, traditionally made using coconut tree trunk with a covering of sharkskin.
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2. Ipu
A hollowed-out gourd that, in skilled hands, is used to keep the beat in hula.
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3. ‘Ili’ili
Smooth stones – two are held in each hand and played by hula dancers in a style similar to Spanish castanets.
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4. Pū’ili
Bamboo sticks, one end of each cut into a fringe so that they produce a rattling sound when played by hula dancers.
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5. Kāla’au
Pairs of sticks of varying length that are struck against each other during dancing.
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6. ‘Uli’uli
Gourd shakers that are filled with seeds and usually topped with feathers.
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7. ‘Ukulele
A gift from the Portuguese that’s now integral to modern Hawaiian music. “Jumping flea” was how Hawaiians first described the sound.
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8. Guitar
Whether slack-key, steel, acoustic, or electric, the guitar is essential to Hawaiian music.
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9. Standing Bass
As in jazz ensembles, the standing bass has found its way into a lot of contemporary Hawaiian music.
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10. Falsetto Voice
Most easily described as male vocalists singing above their regular range, there is arguably no sweeter sound than the Hawaiian falsetto.
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