Fifty States: Hawaii

Gabby Pahinui: Blue Hawaiian Moonlight

I'm not sure if I'm the only SMM contributor with Hawaiian heritage ... my mom was a native, born and raised ... but I feared that the Hawaiian track was gonna be Elvis' "Blue Hawaii" or the Hawaii Five-O theme. So, my mission was to preemptively strike with some actual Hawaiian flavor. Don't get me wrong, this is no diss on the King or Jack Lord and his perfectly coiffed hair. But, Gabby Pahinui was a giant of Hawaiian music, a slack-key and steel guitar master going back to the 1930s, and the man had sweet honey for a voice, which I think this song showcases beautifully. Suffice to say, many people know of Mr. Presley. Not very many know of Mr. Pahinui, so if I can turn a few ears, I'll be happy. My only regret is that the track cuts off at the very end, so my apologies for that. Also, because Gabby has a fairly limited CD catalog ... and Hawaiian music is kinda inherently niche ... prices tend to be outrageous, which is why I didn't bother including a purchase link. But, you may get lucky at some download sites or the occasional record store, so keep a look out. Aloha.