Though it didn't become the 50th United State of America until 1959, the Aloha State of Hawaii had long held an enchanting spell over mainland dwellers. Tiki culture rose to prominence in the 1930s; the decade saw the opening of the first Polynesian-themed tiki bar and restaurant, Don the Beachcomber, in 1934. By the end of the thirties, flights to Hawaii had begun, making the lush and beautiful land of sun and surf more widely accessible. The Polynesian craze hit full swing in the 1950s, and musically speaking, so-called "exotica" inspired by the islands was more popular than ever. Of course, the islands of Hawaii had a long musical history of their own.

RockBeat Records has just celebrated these sounds on one of the year's most delightful - and delightfully unexpected - new box sets. Hulaland: The Golden Age of Hawaiian Music, a 4-CD hardcover book-style collection, explores both the original music of Hawaii and the popular songs inspired by the Islands. While some of Hawaii's most popular musical exponents like Don Ho and the late Dick Jensen are absent, the scope of this fun tropical romp is evidenced by the presence of artists as diverse as Louis Armstrong, Slim Whitman, Ethel Merman and Jo Stafford. The box covers the period between 1927 and 1974 over four themed CDs, concentrating on the pre-rock-and-roll era and culminating in a disc of new performances of "contemporary Hawaiian classics (1925-1957)."

It's appropriate that a cross-cultural union opens the first track on Disc One, titled From Hollywood to Honolulu: Hawaii Goes Eclectic 1931-1957. Louis Armstrong is joined by the influential Hawaiian bandleader Andy Iona and His Islanders for 1936's "On a Little Bamboo Bridge" (co-written by Al Sherman, father of songwriters The Sherman Brothers.) Iona melded traditional Hawaiian melodies with American swing. Both of those sensibilities are very much in evidence on this disc's sunny selections which brim with lyrics of beaches, coconuts and the hula. Unique instrumentation was used to conjure the spirit of the islands - swooning steel and slack key guitars, ukuleles, "jungle" drums, vibes, and the like. Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley songwriters were also taken with the language of the land, hence the novelties with titles like "Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula," heard here in the version by British-born bandleader Felix Mendelssohn and the Hawaiian Sisters with George Barclay but also recorded by singers from Al Jolson to Bing Crosby. Nebraska-born Harry Owens wrote the Academy Award-winning standard "Sweet Leilani" for the 1937 film Waikiki Wedding starring Crosby, but it's the recording by Ukulele Ike (a.k.a. Cliff Edwards, a.k.a. Jiminy Cricket!) you'll hear here. (Though Crosby recorded a number of Hawaiian-themed songs, he hasn't made the cut for this set.)  The legendary Ethel Merman, who never met a song she couldn't belt to the rafters, is rather subdued on her 1950 recording of Richard Whiting and Gus Kahn's 1920s-vintage "Ukulele Lady."

The origins of "Hawaiian War Chant" date back to the 1860s and Prince Leleiohoku. Jo Stafford's boisterous rendition is included here. (The song might be familiar to fans of Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room, where it's been played daily since 1963. Like "Ukulele Lady," "War Chant" is heard in a different version and context on Disc Three of this set.) Hawaiian artists were eager to put their stamp on mainland American tunes, too, so Hulaland presents treats like Honolulu-born Sol K. Bright's take on Irving Berlin's "Heat Wave."  Mendelssohn, who did much to popularize the Hawaiian style in Europe, adapted Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo" in a tropical arrangement. Breezy instrumentals like Tau Moe's "Hula Blues" and Rudy Wairata and the Mena Moeira Minstrels' "Pua Jka Lani" still aurally transport, while a bit of scene-setting color is also provided by brief snippets of film and cartoon dialogue. Furthering the set's exploration of the various ways in which Hawaiian music was addressed in pop culture, there are multiple versions of some songs - such as "My Little Grass Shack," first as sung by actress Dorothy Lamour and then by steel guitarist Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant.

The second disc of Hulaland picks up where the first leaves off, in 1958, for a feast of kitschy yet delectable Tiki and Exotica for the swingin' Mad Men generation. The perfect soundtrack to a tiki party, these songs range from the romantic to the rhythmic. A number of the era's prime exponents of the exotica genre are represented, including Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman, as well as period television themes (Hawaiian Eye, Hawaii Five-O, even "Peter Gunn Goes Hawaiian") and Hawaiian-themed commercials for Coca-Cola ("the most popular drink in the islands!") and Newport cigarettes ("the smoothest-tasting menthol cigarette!"). Lyman, originally the vibes player in Denny's group, offers "Jungle Drums," which is also heard in a vocal rendition by doo-woppers The Passions.

The sounds on this disc are diverse, from the pronounced Latin influence on The Mary Kay Trio's "Hilo Boy" to the dramatic recitation by Paul Page during his "Castaway." The Original Hula Hawaiians' "My Honolulu Hula Girl" is a throwback to the swing style on the first disc, and rock and roll is here, too, with surf-rockers The Ventures serving up the hypnotic "Taboo." There's more surf guitar on Richie Allen's "The Quiet Surf." Santo and Johnny, known for their hit "Sleepwalk," are in a similarly nocturnal vein on the languid "Adventures in Paradise." Andy Williams popularized "House of Bamboo," but the catchy tune is rendered here by Earl Grant in his charting version from 1960.

The third and fourth discs of this set - original versions of Hawaiian Classics (1927-1940) and new recordings of Contemporary Hawaiian Classics (1925-1957) - depart from the lounge mood to present an entertaining variety of more authentic sounds. Collectors will surely delight at the rarities from Hawaiian-born artists including Andy Iona, Sam Alama, Mike Hanapi, "King" Bennie Nawahi, Sam Ku West and the duo of Jim (Holstein) and Bob (Pauole). A number of these musicians found fame in the mainland with their virtuosic steel guitar playing which is no less impressive today than it must have been decades earlier. This disc has been curated by Robert Armstrong from his personal collection; one can also compare the interpretations of many songs here ("Hula Blues," "Hawaiian War Chant," "Hawaiian Cowboy," "Ukulele Lady" among them) to those on earlier discs. Jazz enthusiasts in particular will be drawn to the selections here, which share much in common with mainland jazz and western swing of the period. Robert Armstrong then is heard as a musician on Disc Four, joining various groups to celebrate the legacy of this tremendous music via more recent recordings in the vintage and frequently low-key style, with no modern production makeovers. These artists, like Casey MacGill and Orville Johnson, Sourdough Slim, The Sweet Hollywaiians, Janet Klein and the Parlor Boys, and Ken and Bob all keep the spirit of classic Hawaiian music alive today.

Hulaland is doubtless the most lavish box set yet produced by Rockbeat. The immersive nature of the set begins with the wicker-esque textured hardcover book itself in which the discs are housed. The bright and colorful 100+-page book is a coffee table-worthy tribute to Hawaii through an American pop culture filter. Producer James Austin provides a five-page introduction and overview and then cedes to a remarkable scrapbook of images and memorabilia from the era. Rare and fascinating sheet music covers are joined by images of tiki mugs and ukuleles, annotated photographs and mini-biographies of "King" Bennie Nawahi, Jim and Bob, Sam Ku West, Sol K. Bright and others represented on the discs. Curiously for such an impressively collector-oriented package, Rockbeat has unfortunately eschewed songwriting, licensing and discographical source credits. Track-by-track notes would have been particularly welcome on a project such as this to illuminate listeners about the many unsung artists.

Subtitled The Golden Age of Hawaiian Music, Hulaland truly makes a case for this all-but-unknown golden age. Anyone entranced by the wonders of blue ocean water, beautiful sandy beaches, bright sun, and gently swaying palm trees will find much to cherish on this transporting audio journey to the 50th state.

Hulaland: The Golden Age of Hawaiian Music can be ordered from Amazon U.S. and Amazon U.K.!