Henry Kailimai

Henry Kailimai
Kailimai c. 1915
Background information
Born	1882 Oahu, Hawaiian Kingdom
Died	February 7, 1948 (aged 65 or 66) Wayne County, Michigan, U.S.
Instruments	Ukulele Guitar Mandolin

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 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.