49th State Hawaii record company

Lore & Background

The 49th State Hawaii Record Company was founded in Honolulu, Hawaii by record store owner George K. Ching in 1948. The label was named in anticipation of Hawaii's eventual attainment of statehood, though Alaska gained statehood eight months before Hawaii, making Hawaii the 50th state. Ching founded the label to answer the growing demand for traditional Hawaiian music in his record store, with the first 49th State recordings released as 78 rpm records made using an acetate record cutting machine in a makeshift studio in Ching's own home. Later, production moved to initial recording on tape before later being pressed in vinyl. To guarantee authenticity in recorded performances, Ching collaborated with Hawaiian composer and musician Johnny Almeida, known as the 'Dean of Hawaiian Music'. Almeida served as the label's music director. By 1950, the headquarters for the label had moved from Ching's home to 1121 Bethel St, Honolulu. The company, which has been described as 'the first, top, most significant, authentic label of Hawaii', was defunct by 1958.

Reader's Guide

The 49th State Hawaii Record Company holds significance as a pioneering label dedicated to traditional Hawaiian music during a period of growing demand. Founded by George K. Ching in 1948, it was named in anticipation of Hawaii's statehood, though that event made it the 50th state. The label's commitment to authenticity was ensured through music director Johnny Almeida. Its recordings, initially on 78 rpm acetate discs cut in Ching's home, later transitioned to tape and vinyl. The company was defunct by 1958, but its legacy was revived when Cord International purchased the rights in the early 1990s. Cord restored and re-mastered many of the LPs released between 1948 and 1958, digitally cleaning hisses and pops to recreate the original listening experience. The label is remembered as a key repository of traditional Hawaiian music from the mid-20th century.

Did You Know?

• The label was named in anticipation of Hawaii becoming a state, but Alaska gained statehood first, making Hawaii the 50th state.
• The first recordings were made on an acetate record cutting machine in founder George K. Ching's home.
• Cord International purchased the label in the early 1990s and digitally restored its recordings.

Origins in a Honolulu Home Studio

George K. Ching, a record store proprietor in Honolulu, launched the 49th State Hawaii Record Company in 1948 to meet what he saw as a surging appetite for traditional Hawaiian music among his customers. The earliest releases were cut as 78 rpm discs using an acetate record-cutting machine set up in a makeshift studio inside Ching's own residence. As technology and demand evolved, the production process shifted to initial recording onto magnetic tape, with final pressing onto vinyl. To ensure the recordings carried genuine musical authority, Ching brought in Johnny Almeida, widely recognized as the "Dean of Hawaiian Music," to serve as the label's music director. Almeida's involvement gave the catalog a stamp of credibility that set it apart from competitors. By 1950, operations had outgrown the home and relocated to 1121 Bethel Street in Honolulu. Despite its short operational window—ending by 1958—the label carved out a distinctive place in Hawaiian musical history during its roughly decade of existence.

A Name Born of Political Anticipation

The label's very name carried a forward-looking political statement. When Ching established the company in 1948, Hawaii was still a U.S. territory, and the name "49th State" reflected the reasonable expectation that the islands would soon be admitted as the nation's forty-ninth state. The irony, of course, was that Alaska was granted statehood roughly eight months before Hawaii, which ultimately became the fiftieth state rather than the forty-ninth. The label's name thus became a small historical curiosity—a snapshot of a moment when the future order of American states was still uncertain. Beyond the naming quirk, the company's founding purpose was deeply rooted in local culture. Ching, operating out of his Honolulu record shop, recognized that the demand for authentic traditional Hawaiian music was outpacing what existing labels were supplying. The 49th State imprint was conceived as a direct response to that gap, giving local musicians and listeners a dedicated home for the sounds that defined the islands' musical identity.

Resurrection Through Cord International

By the 1980s, the catalogs of several important old-time Hawaiian record labels had fallen out of print, and the original recordings were aging in poor condition. Michael Cord, who would go on to found Cord International, noticed this gap and began in 1991 leasing the rights to those dormant recordings for digital restoration and reissue. The 49th State Hawaii imprint was among his very first acquisitions. Cord's team worked to strip away decades of accumulated noise—hisses, pops, and other artifacts—so that modern listeners could experience the music as though it had just been pressed. In his own words, the goal was for the listening experience to feel as fresh as the original release, "only better." Through this effort, LPs originally issued between 1948 and 1958 were remastered and made available to a new generation. Cord's broader project also revived other Hawaiian imprints, including Bell, Mele, Trim, Tradewinds, and Gold Coin, effectively preserving a slice of the islands' musical heritage that might otherwise have been lost to time.

Guardian of Authentic Hawaiian Sound

The 49th State Hawaii Record Company has been described as "the first, top, most significant, authentic label of Hawaii," a distinction that speaks to its outsized influence relative to its brief lifespan. The label positioned itself as a direct successor to Bell Records Honolulu, which had released Hawaiian music between 1944 and 1950, ensuring continuity in the local recording tradition. Central to its mission was a commitment to authenticity: Ching deliberately partnered with composer and musician Johnny Almeida, the celebrated "Dean of Hawaiian Music," to oversee artistic direction. Almeida's role as music director was not merely decorative; it was Ching's mechanism for guaranteeing that the performances captured on disc truly represented the traditional Hawaiian musical idiom. In an era when Hawaiian music was gaining wider attention, the label served as a curated gateway, filtering for genuine expression rather than commercial approximation. Though the company ceased operations by 1958, its catalog—spanning 78 rpm, 45 rpm, and 33⅓ rpm formats—remains a foundational reference point for scholars and collectors studying the evolution of Hawaiian music in the mid-twentieth century.