Lei Day

This is Take Note. I'm Anna Williams and we're taking history by the tempo.

On the morning of May 1st, the statewide celebration of Leide begins in Hawaii.

Leide is a time to celebrate Hawaiian pride and culture, while also serving as a major boost for the island's economy.

In 1929, the holiday was made official after Oklahoma-born poet Don Blanding and Grace Tower Warren,

both from the Honolulu Star Bulletin, suggested a celebration around Leide's coinciding with May Day.

Warren coined the phrase May Day is Leide, which became the title of the song most often used to celebrate the occasion,

written by Ruth and Leonard Red Hawk.

This song with its English lyrics falls under a genre known as Hapa Hala music, meaning half foreign or white.

The sounds of this genre really took off in the USA in the early 20th century, as they promoted the exotic paradise perception of Hawaii as a tourist destination.

Nevertheless, Hapa Hala can serve as an entry point to learning more about authentic Hawaiian music, such as Kanakapila, Hula, or Slecki guitar music.

While Leide was first seen by many as a commercialization of Hawaiian culture, many Native Hawaiians felt that it was a way to reclaim and promote their traditions

in the face of Americanization, to celebrate the Aloha spirit.

Take note is a production of classical Arizona PBS, a service of Arizona State University.