Return to Waikiki is an event that honors Hawaii’s past in the context of modernity. The atmosphere, entertainment all came together to create an environment that properly celebrates Hawaiian history. Catered by DH Catering, music by MAKANA and put together by Sakara Blackwell’s event planning, Return to Waikiki is a show that tells of how Hawaiian music came to existence.

MAKANA is a slack key guitar player, which he is able to demonstrate during the show. Slack key guitar, according to MAKANA, is a language that is a musical innovation that served to help add depth to Hawaiian music as a whole.

Return to Waikiki is billed as a luau, but is styled after the grand luaus and entertainment of the 1940s and 50s. The event evokes the sophistication of the past and is grounded in the history of Hawaii, a vastly different experience from the tourist experience of Hawaii.