Henry Kailimai

Henry K. Kailimai Sr. (1882 – February 7, 1948) was a Hawaiian musician, composer, and bandleader who first received attention after his band performed at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in 1915, becoming among the first musicians to showcase Hawaiian music to mainland American audiences on a large scale. His song "On the Beach at Waikiki", which he performed at the exposition, found commercial success in the mainland United States, becoming one of the first Hawaiian songs to do so. His music attracted the attention of the business magnate Henry Ford, who hired Kailimai and his group as official musicians for the Ford Motor Company. Kailimai moved to Detroit to fill the role, where he lived until his death in 1948.

Early life Kailimai was born in 1882 to William Henry and Kaaipelana Kailimai. He was born on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. In 1902, Kailimai married Louisa Opu; they had eight children, many of whom eventually became accomplished musicians themselves. He was a Mormon, and served as an organist at his church. He was a protege of the ukulele virtuoso Ernest Kaʻai.

Career Panama–Pacific International Exposition Prior to the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition, which was to be held in San Francisco, the organizers of the fair sought to include a Hawaiian building culturally representative of the territory, as had been done at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in 1905 and the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition in 1909. In the leadup to the exposition in 1914, there was competition between multiple Hawaiian string bands, each vying for a contract to perform at the exposition. As a result of the competition, a group led by Kailimai was chosen over Jonah Kumalae's Glee Club and Ernest Kaʻai's Glee Club. performed daily at the exposition, surrounded by tropical plants such as palm trees and ferns in the center of the Hawaiian Building's entrance hall. Large amounts of fairgoers heard Kailimai's most popular hapa haole composition "On the Beach at Waikiki" while they passed through the Hawaiian Building, which, as a result, helped the song find commercial success in the mainland United States. and was posthumously honored for his "outstanding musical achievements" by the Detroit City Council in 2016.