Holehole bushi are songs composed and sang by Japanese immigrants who worked in the cane field for the sugar plantations in the late 19th century. These songs show a sense of the early plantation life. The plantation workers sang about their joys, sorrows, hardship, and challenges. Many of these songs are created by women workers during their labor, it provides a direct connection to history from women’s perspective. In the holehole bushi above, it sounds like the plantation life was very tough. It feels like it was created by a woman who was crying in the field while working. Most of the laborers were brought to Hawaii as cheap labor, they have no idea what to expect. In their own countries, they had more control of their schedule and work.
