Artist: Toots Paka Troupe

Title: Sweet Hawaiian Moonlight / Kohala March

Label: Silvertone 5030

Format: 10-inch 78 RPM Single (Double-sided)

Condition: VG

Original factory sleeve: Yes

Comments: A vocal ensemble gaily singing Hawaiian songs, strumming their ukulele and guitars, tooting their flute, and dancing hula. Toots Paka and Hawaiian musicians introduced the Hawaiian culture through its easy-going music to the U.S. mainland and in the first quarter of the 1900s. Toots Paka, originally a Broadway actress until she broke her ankle, met and married July Paka, a Hawaiian musician touring the mainland. She saw potential in July Paka and his musicians, so she learned how to dance the hula, learned some Hawaiian words, and came up with responses to the media's questions. Toots Paka Hawaiian Troupe performed in the most exclusive vaudeville productions at major cities, including Chicago, Baltimore, Boston, and San Francisco, and even in the Orpheum circuit in New York for seasons. San Francisco papers criticized Toots Paka's dancing, partially due to the perceived lack of authenticity.