…on a bright Hawaiian Christmas day…this familiar tune is heard in Hawaii every year and shared and enjoyed by those of us who love Hawaii. It’s been performed by Jimmy Buffet, Bette Midler, the Andrews Sisters with Bing Crosby and Don Ho among many others.
This song was written by composer R. Alex Anderson who was born in Honolulu, HI in 1894. He wrote many Hawaiian songs within the “hapa haole” genre, including “Lovely Hula Hands” in 1940. “Mele Kalikimaka was released in 1949 and became known as the Hawaiian Christmas song. Just imagine a warm, tropical holiday season in Kona!