1. On the Beach at Waikiki

Name of a bestselling song written in 1915, but popularized in the 1930s.

On the beach at Waikiki was composed by Dr. G. H. Stover (music) and Henry Kailimi (lyrics) in 1915. Stover and Kailimi had were also responsible for some other Hawaiian-themed songs, including 1914's My Luau Girl.

The song was featured at the Hawaiian exhibit at the 1915 Pan Pacific International Exposition in 1915, in San Francisco. The popularity of both the exhibit and of On the Beach at Waikiki was tremendous, and helped launch a huge interest Hawaiian music -- the first wave of Polynesian Pop to visit the United States.

Martin Denny recounted a story about his first experience with Hawaiian music. In 1930, when he was 15, Denny was hired to play piano at a stag party at the Borden Milk Company in New York. According to Denny, who had never attended such a party before, 'an aging koochy-koochy' dancer clad in a leopard skin arrived, and handed Denny the sheet music for On the Beach at Waikiki.

At the dancer's request, Denny played the music fast, and just as the dancer was completing her routine, the police burst into the room shouting 'It's a raid!'. The Borden salesmen scattered, and the police arrested the koochy-koochy dancer. A bewildered Denny remained at the piano, when a large Irish officer asked 'Who the hell are you?' Denny responded 'the piano player.' When Denny, falsely, said he was sixteen, the officer told him to get out.

Denny stated that he never received his promised $5.00 payment, and he never forgot On the Beach at Waikiki.

Links:
Biography of Henry Kailimi.
Martin Denny's first experience with On the Beach at Waikiki.


Updated October 21, 2005