IT'S 33 years and counting since Myra English recorded the song that quickly became her musical signature. "Drinking Champagne" is the lead-off number in this perfect 14-song anthology. Among the others is one she wrote, "Many Happy Hangovers To You," and songs written by others but redone distinctively in classic "champagne style." Almost all find English backed by Sonny Chillingworth on guitar; what a team they were!
Producer Donald P. "Flip" McDiarmid III, Hawaiian language consultant Jean Sullivan, and liner notes writer Billy Rose provide everything necessary to understand the basic meaning and significance of each song and to appreciate English as an artist whose career stretches from Territorial times to the present. Long-time residents familiar with her music will welcome the rerelease of these beautiful recordings on disc.
DARLENE Ahuna's second solo album is a second masterpiece for the Big Island vocalist. Again there is kaona in the title; many of the songs refer in one way or another to the beauty or hidden significance of various leis. The songs that aren't about lei are included for reasons explained in nine panels of detailed annotation. The exquisite beauty of Ahuna's voice is the "thread" that strings them together into a world-class collection.
Ahuna and producer Donald P. "Flip" McDiarmid III have expanded the range of her material slightly by including a medley of two of her favorite country songs and a hapa-haole tune long associated with Lena Machado. Those are in addition to the beautiful assortment of Hawaiian-language classics that go back as far as the middle of the last century, and several songs written by members of the Ahuna family. As with her first solo album, "Ulana Ke Aloha," the final selection is a love song written for her and to her by her husband, J.J. Ahuna. It's a beautiful finale to a perfect album.
KAPENA's stirring rendition of "The Solid Rock" is the one authentic "gospel" song in this short anthology of contemporary Christian music, but most of the other selections will satisfy Christian listeners also.
Jesse Rivera and Ken Makuakane offer original musical testaments of Christian faith, Ilona Irvine eclipses all her local-pop/pseudo-reggae recordings with "Hallelujah," and a beautiful John Keawe medley adds a slack-key instrumental. David Kahiapo and Del Beazley share a pair of Hawaiian-language songs, but since album producers Leon Siu and Malia Elliott failed to include translations most listeners won't get the message. Jesus certainly understands all languages but most island residents don't speak fluent Hawaiian.
Na Leo Pilimehana's "Colorblind" makes only passing reference to "the Lord," but a call for racial tolerance certainly echoes Jesus' teachings.
The most awkward entry is Leon & Malia's bowdlerization of "Wind Beneath My Wings." Yes, almost any noncarnal love song can be sung in praise of the Lord, but why rip a secular song out of context when there are so many great Christian songs to choose from?
RELEASED in anticipation of the 30th anniversary of Jack and Cha Thompson's Tihati Productions (in 1999) this colorfully packaged album is primarily a tourist souvenir. There are plenty of photos of unidentified performers and dance troupes; there is no cultural information on the various musical numbers (That would have been provided by the showroom master of ceremonies).
Two songs in English, obviously written-to-order as generic opening numbers, further the impression that this is tourist fodder. One song actually welcomes the listener/audience to "Poly-knee-zee-ah." However, considering the number of visitors that see Tihati shows each year the album could be sell thousands of copies with no sales outside the Tihati showroom empire at all.
And, three tracks merit local interest. "Kawika/Kalakaua" shows that Joe Recca deserves a competently produced album of his own. "Makena Marie" and "Love Will Keep Up Alive" mark the debut of Raymond "Mondokane" Medeiros. The first song is an original and Medeiros acquits himself well remaking the Eagles' hit.Tihiti Productions should consider releasing albums by Recca and Medeiros for 1999 as well.