Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources citedOn the Beach at Waikiki
Hawaiian1910sPictured: Henry Kailimai (public domain) · source
UnconfirmedBPM
B♭ majKey
More in B♭ major → · More “Public Domain” →
Key from published sheet music / hymnals
The verdict
Public Domain
In the public domain — but check the Rights Status below; a specific host's copy can carry its own caveat.
Used by independents?
Yes — it’s in the public domain — free for any independent artist to use, with no clearance needed.
Composer & credited writers
Composed by Henry Kailimai (1882-1948), a Hawaiian musician and bandleader born on Oahu; credited jointly with G.H. Stover and Fred Fisher on the 1915 published sheet music — worth noting all three names, not Kailimai alone
Where it was performed
Performed live, daily, by Kailimai's 'Hawaiian Quintet' at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco — a world's fair that drew 17-19 million visitors, marking the Panama Canal's completion and the city's recovery from the 1906 earthquake
How the group got there
Kailimai's group won the contract to perform at the exposition through documented competition against Jonah Kumalae's and Ernest Kaʻai's glee clubs
Rights Status
Licenses explained →Public domain is not one blanket badge — each source can carry its own caveat
The compositionPublic domain
A specific period recordingNot yet confirmed
Cultural Impact
Documented covers, adaptations, and cultural echoes — each with a real, dated source
Credited with sparking the first mainland ukulele craze
Performed at the center of the Exposition's Hawaiian Building, this song is widely credited as the breakout hit that helped launch the ukulele's popularity across the American mainland — commemorated with a 100th-anniversary 'Uke-A-thon' in San Francisco in 2015.
Ukulele Magazine / PR Newswire · read it →
Caught the attention of Henry Ford
Ford was so impressed he hired Kailimai's group as the Ford Motor Company's official musicians. Renamed the 'Ford Hawaiians,' they moved to Detroit, drew 5,000+ to a single concert, recorded for Edison's label, and performed on Ford's Dearborn radio station; Ford personally offered each of Kailimai's sons a full education and guaranteed company employment.
Wikipedia · read it →
Part of a real, documented genre explosion
By 1916 — the year after this song's exposition debut — Hawaiian/hapa haole music had become the best-selling music genre in the entire United States.
Wikipedia (Hapa haole music) · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?Yes — free to use without clearance
References
Every source cited on this page — 4 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Key added from published sheet music / hymnals (documented source)
Jul 2026Page created (draft — pending verification)