For the first time ever, PBS Hawaiʻi is airing Parts 1 and 2 of “In Hawaiian Hands: The Story of Reggae in Hawai’i.” 📺 As reggae emerged in Jamaica in the late 1960s, it became more than just music. It was a powerful vehicle to communicate resistance to colonialism and slavery. It also became a symbol of unity. This 2-part film chronicles how local artists began to adopt and adapt the reggae beat, blending it with island sensibilities to create a distinctly new sound: Jawaiian. With the explosi

“When I came to Hawaiʻi, there was no reggae playing here. There was no reggae on the radio. I was the first reggae artist to actually record an actual full reggae album here in the State of Hawaiʻi, or the first Native Hawaiian to do that.” Butch Helemano is considered to be one of the forefathers of Hawaiian Reggae. He was a showman who inspired many local artists to join the reggae scene, and his influence reached beyond the shores of Hawaiʻi. Check out this footage from his concert in São Pa