Emergent Ideology in Popular Hawaiian Music

George Lewis brings a sociological perspective to his article “Emergent Ideology in Popular Hawaiian Music.” It enables one to gain a clearer understanding of how music influenced modern Hawaiian ideology. Lewis touches upon four main themes in his paper along with a concise conclusion to his findings. These themes include music as symbolic action; music, ideology, and the Hawaiian renaissance; the new Hawaiian music; and tourism and the business of music. His conclusion places these themes in the context of an emergent Hawaiian ideology.

Lewis begins by explaining the importance of music as symbolic action. As communication, music is essential as a link between the values of specific cultures and social action. In this theme, Lewis expounds on Raymond Williams’s distinction between dominant ideology and their co-existing alternatives. These other ideologies may be expressed as residual, emergent, oppositional, or alternative. Residual can be seen as “formed in the past, but still remembered and, to some extent, still a part of the cultural process.” Emergent ideology is described as, “the expression of new groups outside the dominant group.” The oppositional is exactly how it sounds; “something that challenges the dominant ideology.” And the alternative is an ideology that “co-exists within the dominant ideology.”

The author uses a valid example of how the music of people like John Lennon and Bob Dylan were significant in influencing the counterculture of the 1960s and early 1970s. There were numerous musicians during this era that had vital inspiration to the many different movements that took place at that time. Lewis also states that music can “reinforce the feelings of communal belonging and social solidarity.” He explains that music can be a more effective form of communication as compared to speeches or pamphlets. This sense of belonging tends to bring to the fore an elevation of moral rights, “surrounding them with a sort of symbolic ‘halo of righteousness’.”

Significant changes in Hawaiian music over the past century is the second theme covered in Lewis’s article. Dr. George Kanahele called this Hawaiian renaissance “probably the most significant chapter in their [Hawaiians] modern history since the overthrow of the monarchy and loss of nationhood in 1893.” This new, thriving culture is most closely connected to Hawaiian music. Lewis explains that much of the commercial music of the 20^th century either trivialized or ridiculed the Hawaiian identity. Songs like “Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula” and “Princess Poo-Poo-ly Has Plenty Papaya” not only degraded Hawaiian culture but also provided the basis for what people on the mainland and throughout the world saw as the true Hawaiian identity.

But by the late 1960s a new form of Hawaiian music represented several different ideologies at the same time. This music was “emergent in it ideological implications, residual in its ties to traditional forms, and oppositional in its challenges to the political, social, and cultural assumptions of the dominant mainland-created ideology.” Hawaiian music during this time created the beginnings of a new social movement throughout the islands. These social movements were, in large part, a result of Hawaiians engaged in the civil rights protests on the mainland. As stated in the chronology, “these young Hawaiians came home and learned the history of their own ancestor’s struggles and began to protest, re-write, and re-think U.S.—Hawaiian relationships.”

The new Hawaiian music covered in the author’s third theme is more nationalistic and tends to celebrate the traditions of native Hawaiians. This is in clear opposition to the cultural domination of the United States, as well as, “the entertainment needs of the booming tourist industry.” New songs like Nanakuli Blues and E Kuu Morning Dew reflected a fervent connection to the land and Hawaii itself. They clearly “celebrate the beauty of various island places and lament their destruction by contemporary off-island concerns, or the fact that the land—once Hawaiian—is now owned by foreigners who refuse to treat it with the care and reverence it demands.”

Another relevant aspect connected to this particular theme is that many of these songs were written and sung in the Hawaiian language. This, in and of itself, makes the “very act of singing or listening to songs sung in Hawaiian…an act of social protest against the dominant ideology.” Simultaneously, it also becomes an emergent assertion of their Hawaiian cultural identity.

Lewis also explains how the use of indigenous folk instruments like the slack key guitar, the ipu, and the tiple, to name just a few, can be seen as a political statement. It reinforces the “need to respect Hawaiian tradition and to oppose mainland domination and cultural co-optation by the tourist industry.” He also believes that by integrating music with the hula it provides “symbolic expressions of new ethnic pride and identity.”

The last theme addressed in this article covers tourism and the business of music. Even though new Hawaiian music has come a long way over the past forty years, there is still a “demand for the music of the dominant ideological style.” Basically, this type of music has become “part of the tourist consciousness—a construction of reality that is believed to be authentic.” Ironically, this tourist music has actually helped in promoting the “new Hawaiian music.” It has encouraged the social and economic conditions needed for the advancement of this new music. The tourist industry has also created a considerable new market where this new music can gain recognition. Tourism provides jobs and good-paying “gigs” for many Hawaiian musicians. Even someone as famous as Don Ho said of his music, “I don’t like it. I do it because people pay me a lot of money to do it.” This quote sums up the prevalent attitude of many Hawaiians in the music industry.

In conclusion, George Lewis makes valid and relevant points in providing a sociological perspective to music in the Hawaiian culture. He discusses the idea of Raymond Williams’ ideologies as residual, emergent, oppositional, and alternative. The author interprets the development of new Hawaiian popular music that began in the late 1960s, coalesced in the 1970s and pushed into the 1980s. Lewis states that, “This music [was]…clearly oppositional in nature and [had] arisen as protest to both the dominant ideology of the mainland and the tourist industry…and as a serious protest against the political and social realities this dominant ideology supports—trivialization of the Hawaiian people, destruction of their land and their past, as well as the negatively perceived cultural and ecological impacts of mass tourism.” It is clear that this new Hawaiian music has done much, and continues to do more, in breaking these outdated and racist stereotypes. It has begun to bring Hawaiian culture and identity back to where it should be—to the true reality of what it is like to be Hawaiian.

Hawai’i’s Water Resources Management

 “In the case of our forests, we pay no bill for the capture and filtering of rainwater that replenishes our island aquifers, no bill for natural erosion control and clear nearshore waters. We pay no bill for the uptake of carbon dioxide and the supply of oxygen, for the calming influence of green mountains on our psyche, or the shady trails we hike. Contemplate the cost of replicating just one of these essential services through feats of technology or engineering and you begin to appreciate the contribution our forests make to our economy and quality of life.”

From Last Stand: The Vanishing Hawaiian Forest

From India to South America to China to Hawai’i the topic of fresh water is a worldwide problem that needs to be addressed. Hawai’i water management is particularly crucial for several reasons. Hawai’i is a “natural laboratory for the study of evolution.” Each of the islands are at a different ecological age. They all contain endemic species. And they all accomplish these remarkable disparities in a relatively small, contained area. Hawai’i allows scientists to not only measure biodiversity, but also evaluate any threats to it. They would then be able to design new, more efficient methods to protect these areas.

Over the summer I had taken a History of Maui EdVenture class. There were three informative sessions that covered the past, present, and future of Maui. For the third class, the instructor had representatives from the Maui Economic Development Board give a talk on the various watersheds on Maui. They also discussed ways to conserve water and what we could do, as citizens, to help with this important issue. I decided at that time to do a little research into the topic.

Through the class and my own personal reading of Hawaiian history I learned of the importance of water to ancient Hawaiians. The ‘ahupua’a system of land management was established to use the water from the “realm of the gods” through the taro fields to the fishponds along the coast. The ancient Hawaiians were continually mindful of conservation. I remember from the class, Jonelle (the instructor), telling us of how the Hawaiians would put some kind of “sticky stuff” on the branches to catch the birds. They would then pluck a few feathers for decoration and release the bird. This shows me that peoples of the islands were well aware of the importance of all the species, both animals and plants that inhabited their home.

The connection between the land and people of Hawai’i can be seen throughout the culture of the islands. From the little I have learned researching this topic it is apparent that water and all it provides connects all of us to the land. From the water comes the forests which provide trees for shelter, agriculture, fishing, canoes, and weapons. Plants like the ‘ohi’a lehua and maile are considered sacred to hula. This shows a clear connection to Hawaiian culture and it can all be traced back to water.

While researching this topic I read that “Hawaiians are part of nature—not separate from it.” I also read a particularly appropriate quote from Kumu Hula Pua Kanahele reaffirming the Hawaiian connection to the land. “If we cut down the forest, we cut down ourselves.” I think that these quotations are symptomatic of the association between the Hawaiian culture and the land, including the water.

So how does this issue directly affect me? I live in sight of the West Maui Mountains. The Westside of the island runs on tourism. With this comes the building of hotels and other infrastructure directly related to the tourist industry. But with expansion comes problems. It is obvious that the waste water treatment on this part of the island needs an overhaul. At times the smell is over-bearing. More people, more waste. And more people means more water will be needed.

The West Maui Mountains are biologically rich. They are home to thousands of native plants, birds, snails, and insects. These species are the source of unique genetic information. Ninety percent of these species are found nowhere else in the world! Yet, less than 1% of the state budget is allocated to protect all of Hawai’i’s natural and cultural resources. As a member of this community I feel it is my responsibility to “do my part” to protect this vital part of our environment.

Being a teacher allows me the opportunity to discuss this issue with my students. Later this month I will be implementing an assignment that will allow my classes to research, present, and tackle some of the concerns facing Maui. I also plan to become involved by volunteering with the West Maui Mountain Watershed.

From what I have learned regarding this issue thus far, water in Hawai’i is a precious commodity. It is something that needs to be cared for and watched over. Diligence on this subject needs to be continually pressed among our citizens, our representatives, and, most especially, our keiki. Maybe together, as a community, we will all come to see what Leonardo da Vinci said long ago, “Water is the driving force of all nature.”

Decolonizing the Mind:  The Politics of Language in African Literature

In Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature Ngugi Wa Thiongo relates the life he experienced both before and after the colonization of his country. He begins with his childhood memories of the stories told about the small, but cunning hare. He identified with this “underdog” character and the hare’s struggle against larger, predatory animals. Thiongo explains how he learned “to value words for their meaning and nuances.” Language had “a suggestive power well beyond the immediate and lexical meaning.” According to Thiongo, all language has dual characteristics. He uses the example of his forcible learning of English to convey the idea that language is “both a means of communication and a carrier of culture.”

Thiongo makes a strong case for this dualism of language. He first analyzes the three aspects of language as a means of communication. Agreeing with what Karl Marx called “the language of real life,” Thiongo establishes the connection between language and production. This connection encompasses all levels of production; from the simplest form between man, woman, and child to more composite forms such as factories.

Thiongo then discusses the element of language as speech. The author uses a helpful analogy to clarify his point. He compares language as speech to the human hand and man’s ability to manipulate nature through the use of tools. In other words, tools are the mediator between man and nature and speech is the intermediary between human beings.

The final aspect expressed by the author is language as written signs. This mimics the previous element of language as speech. It also differs from the other two traits in that writing came, historically, much later. The spoken and written language are usually the same in many societies. This allows for the children of a particular culture to have more coherence with the language they associate with their life experiences.

Thiongo also delves into the idea that language is a “carrier of culture.” The accumulation of values over long periods of time allow a people to express their past experiences, as well as perceptions of their society, thereby forming a distinctive culture. By stating that culture is a product of the history it reflects, the author shows the reader that culture and language are indistinguishable from one another. Language is how people explain the genesis and growth of one’s culture. It also is the means for conveying these cultural practices to future generations.

The second aspect is culture “as an image-forming agent in the mind of a child.” This involves our personal conceptions as both individuals and a society as a whole. To support this claim, the author states that, “language as culture is thus mediating between me and my own self; between my own self and other selves; between me and nature.”

The author provides a final element to support his claim that language is a carrier of the culture. Thiongo espouses that it is culture that carries particular images of reality through either the spoken or written word. The uniqueness of the human race to have the capacity to speak and form an order of sounds that can be understood among people allows for the transmission of cultural traditions.

Clearly, language as communication and culture are interconnected to each other. Culture is essentially created by communication among peoples of all societies. It, therefore, also becomes a means of communication. Thiongo sums up this idea by asserting, “Language carries culture, and culture carries, particularly through orature and literature, the entire body of values by which we come to perceive ourselves and our place in the world.” This perception of how we see ourselves affects how we view, not only our culture, but also our society as whole. This socio-centric thinking can be best seen through a society’s common language. The author concludes that, “Language is thus inseparable from ourselves as a community of human beings with a specific form and character, a specific history, a specific relationship to the world.”

It becomes apparent that Thiongo has constructed a valid argument for the importance of native languages in places that have experienced colonization. By highlighting the fact that language is not only a means of communication, but also a carrier of a peoples culture, he shows the reader that “taking away” language can cause a disconnect between a common people and their mutual experiences. This fact is evident when studying the evolution of the Hawaiian language. When the English language was imposed upon the Hawaiians, they lost, not only their native language, but also vital parts of their culture. The fact that the Hawaiian language has terms that cannot be expressed in English reaffirms the way this loss affected the culture as a whole. Luckily, there are now schools, such as Punana Leo, that provide complete student immersion in the Hawaiian language at the elementary school level. In general, there also seems to be a resurgence for a connection to the Hawaiian culture. By imparting their native language to their children, Hawaiians have allowed for a revitalization of this culture. This recovery of Hawaiian customs and traditions can only be enhanced by again making Hawaiian a living language.