​THE HAWAIIAN LEGACY FOUNDATION

Hawaiian Son: 

The Life and Music of Eddie Kamae

​

​

Winner of 3 awards from the 2005 Ka Palapala Po‘okela Award Hawaiʻi Book Publishers Association: Excellence in General Hawaiian Culture, Excellence in Non-Fiction Books and Excellence in Writing Non-Fiction.

​
 

​Measured by the many teachers Eddie Kamae has met along the way he and author James D. Houston have charted Eddie’s very personal odyssey across the backdrop of twentieth century Hawai‘i. The book generously illustrated with historic photos and drawings in sepia and black and white, Eddie tells of the dancers, musicians, story-tellers, elders and kūpuna who have guided him in his lifelong quest to reach the sources of the rich musical traditions of Hawaiʻi and reclaim his own cultural heritage.

 

This award-winning book explores the origins of the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance through Eddie’s life and career as a singer, composer, inspirational performer, teacher and filmmaker. It includes memories of Eddie’s family and formative years in Honolulu and Lahaina, his early development as an instrumental virtuoso, and the story of his pioneering band, The Sons of Hawaiʻi. It also focuses on the evolution of his second career as director of the documentary films in his award-winning Hawaiian Legacy Series. A leading force in the Cultural Renaissance of the past thirty years, Eddie’s insights document and illuminates disappearing cultural traditions and old Hawaiian ways.

​

"Itʻs a great read... the kind of story that speaks to all peoples everywhere. And the writing is superbly crafted." Herb Kawainui Kāne, Author "Ancient Hawaiʻi"

 

​