Mike Scott and his ever versatile band 'the Hawaiianaires' have enriched the Canadian music scene since 1957.
They performed consistently up until 2014 when Mike retired from performing music live.
Mike Scott is originally from Wiltshire England.
Mike was attracted to the sweet sounds of the steel guitar that he first heard played on a record by Felix Mendelsson featuring steel guitarist Roland Peachey. The song was 'In the Mood'.
He bought a steel guitar that had been modified from a spanish guitar but it did not have the same sound that he originally had heard on that record. He then discovered he needed an electric guitar and found one with an amp for 45£. He started taking lessons from a local guitarist but after about 10 lessons he quit and continued studying on his own. Soon after he had learnt enough to play with the local dance bands in his hometown area of Wiltshire England.
He was the steel guitarist with Bill Stones Hawaiian band for three years and then led his own group the Hawaiian Islanders for another 4 years before he emigrated to Toronto Canada in march of 1954. Upon arriving in Toronto he immediately joined the Toronto Musicians association and became a member of
local #149 of the A.F. of M.
Within a few weeks after joining, he was playing steel guitar with various Toronto Groups and Bands. Eventually Mike formed his own Hawaiian music group. He was given the nickname Malihini ...a hawaiian word meaning
'a newcomer' to Hawaii, and Mike Malihini Scott & his Hawaiianaires was born.
Mike also played as a guest guitarist with – Sam Makia’s Hawaiian Orchestra at the Hawaiian Room of the Lexington Hotel in New York City; with Hal Aloma at the Luau 400 in New York City and with Pua Almeida as his steel guitarist during the period he was playing in Toronto in the early 60’s.
Over their extensive career Mike and his Hawaiianaires have played literally hundreds of different venues, and he has popularized hawaiian music in some of Canada's most prominent hotels and private clubs; from the Beautiful Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta to the worlds acclaimed Royal York Hotel in Toronto.When the famous Trader Vics opened their Toronto location, Mike and his Hawaiianaires were chosen to open the room.They were frequent musical guests at the infamous Bali Hai room in the Ports of Call restaurant.
Mike also had a long association with the Waikiki restaurant in Kitchener Ontario where the Hawaiianaires worked on a regular basis for over 8 years.
Mike Scott was a featured performer at the phenominally successful Waikiki pavilion in the 1981 edition of the Toronto Caravan international festival and performed for two summers in the horticultural building at the
CNE (Canadian National Exhibition)
His unique and entertaining manner have endeared him to a vast following of Hawaiian music lovers around the world. Mike is considered one of the great exponents of hawaiian music and has been featured on several CBC television specials, a TV appearance on City TV breakfast television. He has recorded with Don Paishon, well known radio and recording star with the Hawaii Calls radio show. As well he has recorded several full length record albums and CD's.
A few of the Hawaiian personalities who have performed with the Hawaiianaires include: Gary Aiko,
Ohulani Otbo, Larry Riviera, Don Paishon, George Naope, and Lupo Keawe.
Some of the highlights of his career have included: two TV talent shows for the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC)- they finally lost to Paul Anka, and 6-recorded albums.
'Colourful' and 'spectacular' are words that have been fittingly used to describe Mike, his Hawaiianaires and the dancers who so skillfully choreograph the many enchanting moods of beautiful hawaii.
The various musicians who have been a part of the hawaiianaires have varied over the years. All have been talented & skilled musicians who play a variety of music styles besides the hawaiian music they play in the hawaiianaires:
