Looking for Hawaiian music recordings?

Choke good resources for this.

  1. The ultimate resource for information on recordings is the excellent publication Hawaiian & Hawaiian Guitar Records, 1891-1960, by Malcolm Rockwell (2007). Order it directly from the author at:  78data.com.  This work was a labor of love stretched well beyond a decade, and any support that Mr. Rockwell receives helps him to continue his incredible work on discography (scholarship on sound recordings). This discography even won a major award from the Association of Recorded Sound Collections!! Note the years covered:  from the very start of the recording industry, through the age of 78 rpm discs.
  2. The Island Music Source Book, by Brett Ortone. This book was published in 1999. It is an index of songs and artists on LP recordings!! Although copies of the book can still be found in used bookstores like Jelly’s, and occasionally on ebay, the book is now searchable courtesy of Ulukau and the M.E.L.E. program at Honolulu Community College.
  3. National Jukebox from the Library of Congress. Early 78-rpm recordings in the Library of Congress are being digitized and made available online. YOU CAN LISTEN TO RECORDINGS HERE!!  There are, at this writing, over 100 Hawaiian recordings available on the site.
  4. Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings. This site partners with the Library of Congressʻ National Jukebox.
  5. Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project (University of California at Santa Barbara). Cylinders are a format that predates 78rpm recordings. This is a huge resource, and there are dozens of Hawaiian recordings to be heard here!!

A preliminary view of a project in progress:  Hawaiian LP Recordings. A visual catalog of LP recordings organized by record label and catalog number. There are many technical issues with this site, so it has not been advertised. But it is live for anyone who bumps into it. Incredibly, no such resource like this exists yet. Plans: post photos of all printed content of LPs–cover, back of jacket, and any inserts. Then add track lists and artist lists, in such a way that it is all searchable. Sweet dream, yeah?

1 Response to Looking for Hawaiian music recordings?

  1. Pingback: ‘Ike Kumu (Sources of Knowledge) — Kulia i ka Punawai Hula Camp 2013 | Hawaiian Music for Listening Pleasure

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