Walter Aipolani (1955 – August 17, 2023), known as Bruddah Waltah, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist of Hawaiian music. He was born in Keaukaha near Hilo, and moved to Oahu as a child with his family. In the 1980s, he began playing gigs in Waikiki. He was called the Father of Hawaiian Reggae as he and bands he played with, such as Island Afternoon, popularized Hawaiian-style reggae music in the 1980s and 1990s.
Career
Aipolani's first performances, in 1980, were with his brothers, in their band Aku Palu (which means “Bloody Fish Guts”). Their manager was shot just as they were preparing to release their first recording, and the band broke up, to play for a time with their uncle's Hawaiian music group, Na Mele Kani. Their sister, a dancer and musician who was performing in New Zealand, had sent the brothers a cassette tape of Bob Marley's music. Later, as the brothers learned more about Rasta culture and music, they started a series of free concerts in Honolulu in 1983, called Tumbleland Jams.
One of Aipolani's best-known works, "Sweet Lady of Waiāhole," described local fruit vendor Fujiko Shimabukuro. Another song, “Keep Hawaiian Lands” was inspired by Bob Marley's “Waiting in Vain”.
