Why Does Reggae Work with Hawaiian Music?

[Gregg]

While listening to a Hawaiian Contemporary station, such as KCCN, we hear a reggae flavored Top 40 hit every hour or two... Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth, Red Red Wine by UB40, One Love by Bob Marley, etc.

It sounds good but I wonder why it works? OK, Hawaii and Jamaica are both islands. But that's where the similarities end. They're thousands of miles apart. Jamaica (and Trinidad, the Bahamas, etc.) where Reggae originates are islands heavily influenced by the African diaspora. I suppose Reggae is a mix of African, British and native island music all combined.

Hawaii has little or no African influence. Obviously native people from the Carribean have no relationship with Hawaiians. Hawaii became a crossroads between Asia, North America and Europe. Apparently white island music, such as that made popular by Jimmy Buffett, is not included in the playlists of Hawaiian Contemporary stations.

So why are Reggae and Hawaiian Contemporary music so closely related?


Gregg
[email protected]

 

[Doctah]

I believe it may have started with the politically minded music of Bob Marley. The Native Hawaiian movement could identify with Marley's message of struggle and resistance, particularly in the 1970s as the Hawaiian sovereignty movement was reborn. By the 1980s, some contemporary Hawaiian artists were adding a reggae beat to their music -- forming an entirely new subgenre, nicknamed "Jawaiian" (or "Hawaiian reggae"). When KCCN became the first all-Hawaiian FM station in 1988, its island format included a heavy dose of reggae, further adding to its growth in the islands. And it just took off from there.
If anything, the reggae influence isn't as strong as it was in the late 1980s and early 1990s in Hawaiian music.

 

[Mid West Clubber]

I like to Listen to stations like Q 103.7 THE RHYTHM OF THE ISLANDS,, ive seen the station listed as Dance and Rhythmic as well, which is what drove me to check it out in the first place,, but the station is almost 100 percent reggae,, the good kinda roots reggae,, not the sean paul and shaggy,, type wannabe reggae.. The station turned out to be really enjoyable to listen to.. It makes one wonder if a station like Q could work in a place like Miami,, or Toronto, or NYC which all have alot of Reggae Pirates.

 

[Lopaka]

I was driving with an African guy the other day, I slipped in the Hoaikane cd and played Down The Busy Streets, he was so stoked he could hardly contain himself. If I were to guess why it works, it is because islanders want it to work, they are eager to adopt and to play the style and like most things you want to do, you have a tendency to do those things well, the enthusiasm shines thru. "Jawaiian", its more beat and rhythm and lyric oriented than other styles being offered by music manufacturers, it kind of comes up from the fans, not down from the manufactuers. I wonder how well it would fare on the mainland.