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Chinatown rent prices draw musicians looking for practice spaces and work

FILE - Dragon Upstairs, a long-time jazz venue on Nuʻuanu Avenue.
Noe Tanigawa
/
HPR
FILE - Dragon Upstairs, a long-time jazz venue on Nuʻuanu Avenue.

The hustle and bustle of the open market on Kekaulike Mall on a Saturday morning and the music scene in Chinatown after dark draw two different crowds. The Conversation followed a handful of local music groups that practice and play in Chinatown.


This story aired on The Conversation on Oct. 22, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.

Maddie Bender is the executive producer of The Conversation. She also provided production assistance on HPR's "This Is Our Hawaiʻi" podcast. Contact her at mbender@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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