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In this famous art form, hula dancers are accompanied by percussive instruments made from natural materials and the intonations of one or more chanters. Ancient hula began, it is believed, as a male preserve and as religious ritual.

As an oral tradition, Hawaiian stories and family histories were related through chant (oli) . Ranging greatly in style, oli are used for scores of reasons, from prayers and lamentations to requests for permission to gather flora.

When the practice of hula was revived during the reign of the Merrie Monarch, King David Kalākaua, a new dance style took center stage. Known as hula ’auana (modern hula), it is accompanied by instruments like the ’ukulele, guitar, standing bass, and singing voices. It is more flowing in style than hulakahiko , and dancers generally wear western clothes.

The term slackkey refers to a style of playing the guitar in which the strings are loosened, producing a jangly sound. Gabby Pahinui was, perhaps, the most famous of Hawai’i’s slack-key masters – others included Raymond Kane and Sonny Chillingworth.

The Hawaiian steel guitar was born in the islands around the turn of the 20th century, but exactly where, when, and how is still a point of discussion. The instrument is held horizontally on the player’s lap, and a sliding steel bar is used instead of fingers on the fret board. The sound was particularly big during the Sweet Leilani era.

From 1900 to the early 1930s was the era when U.S. mainland composers were greatly influenced by Hawai’i, mostly as a result of the way the islands were portrayed by Hollywood. This era – when songs likeSweet Leilani ,Yacka Hula Hickey Dula , andMy Honolulu Lady were composed – is called the Hapa-Haole or Sweet Leilani era.

The modern renaissance of the Hawaiian culture, which began in the late 1960s, continues to this day, with music playing a major role. The Brothers Cazimero, Ho’okena, the late Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, and Maui’s own Keali’i Reichel have combined their astounding voices with modern instruments and classic Hawaiian poetic techniques to create a magnificent new sound.

O-Bon is a traditional Japanese religious observance but has evolved, as have so many cultural practices in the islands, into a more secular event. O-Bon dances honor deceased ancestors and are joyous occasions marked by drums, music, dances, and, nowadays, festival foods and fun activities.

During February’s Chinese New Year celebrations, the Lion Dance is performed all over Hawai’i. Acrobatic dancers don a lion costume and perform a dance to a steady – and very loud – drum beat designed to ward off evil and spread good fortune. Spectators fill red and gold envelopes with dollar bills and feed them to the lion to ensure future prosperity.

As a miscellany of musical styles from around the world has made its way to the islands, so it is increasingly influencing musicians. Jawaiian describes a blend of reggae and Hawaiian music, and island rappers are now putting their own slant on hip-hop music.