Duncan Kamakana

Duncan Kamakana was born in 1894 on Oʻahu into a musical family. He learned ukulele and began composing songs early, drawing from Hawaiian traditions and influences like Charles E. King. His first recordings appeared in the early 1920s.

He wrote over 400 songs, with 'Home' becoming his most famous piece, a simple, direct ode to place that resonated widely. Other compositions included 'My Little Grass Shack' and 'Beautiful Kahana.' Kamakana recorded albums like 'Duncan Kamakana Sings Hawaiian Songs' in 1939 and 'Kamakana Sings the Songs of Home' in 1957.

Kamakana sometimes worked with musicians like steel guitarist Peter Moon and slack key player Sol Hoʻopiʻi. He died in 1959. His songs remain part of Hawaiian music's fabric, not as monumental statements but as steady, familiar pieces in the repertoire.