Looking into the recent past, and discovering old songs, there is a wealth of information to explore, but often this leads to more mysteries than discoveries. The mystery begins on a 78 record, played until its almost worn out, and then hidden for a generation. Listening to the music that one’s grandparents grew up on can be like looking into the attic. There’s a lot of magnificent dust, hiding people who were very much like the present generation, with the same concerns, and the same passions.
In Hawaii, these kinds of searches are magnified. It’s mentioned in song with a rather high frequency, and this was especially true for the first half of the 20th century. So although today the Waikiki luxury hotels might seem absolutely modern, they inspire a love that’s been around for some time now. Though the lyrics to some of the tunes, like Waikiki Chickadee may not speak to a deep passion deeply considered, they do have an easy sense of love that’s hard to find these days.
But harder still to find are the origins of the song. It seems to have been written by Mel Paoa, but one of the groups credited with its recording seems to have disappeared. It may be another generation before the truth about George “Tautu” Archer and His Pagans comes to any light, but perhaps a musicologist visiting the island might be able to find some answers sooner.
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