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Island Mele
Friday, January 21, 2000
Ahuna’s voice
delights in third soloThat's The Hawaiian In Me:
by Darlene Ahuna (Hula)HOKU Award-winning vocalist Darlene Ahuna goes three for three with her third solo album. There is a bit more hapa-haole content but her beautiful voice makes even a routine remake of "Could I Have This Dance?" satisfactory.
There are places where gratuitous synthesized string effects mar the purity of the music, and adding a campy storyline to "Holoholo Ka'a" is a problematic idea, but the beauty of Ahuna's voice makes this one of the great Hawaiian albums of the past year.
Mpeg Audio Clips:
Quicktime | MPEG-3 info
http://www.hawaii-calls.com
by Ehukai (Stoneworks Production)EHUKAI'S recording of "Moloka'i Slide" made them the upset winners of Single of the Year honors at the 1997 Hoku Awards. Several years and a personnel change or two later, Ehukai is back. Remake of two soul classics add no fresh perspectives on the originals but pass muster as fodder for local radio play. Some other songs are more interesting in showing who these guys are.
"Local's Life" is a great follow-up to "Moloka'i Slide" that seems certain to be a local hit. A few of the others are more generic Jawaiian/reggae stuff but "Na Ehukai" shows Ehukai respects their own Hawaiian heritage as well. Producers John Decanto and Jason Yglasias used a full squad of studio pros to enhance the instrumental sound but overall Ehukai's self-styled "second coming" is successful.
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http://www.olindaroad.com
various (MGC)WHY do local record labels release cheaply packaged anthologies like this?
This collection includes nothing about what the artists may have accomplished or who wrote the songs included. There's no hint Gail Mack had hits with George Street before going solo or that Peter Moon is a major figure in modern Hawaiian music.
The hodgepodge also includes a rap oldie by SKI, light country from Jennifer Barber, and an untranslated oddly produced Hispanic number by Rolando Sanchez. The other acts are mostly obscure although one or two merit attention.
Mpeg Audio Clips:
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Phone (808) 671-1771
See Record Reviews for some past reviews.
See Aloha Worldwide for locals living away.John Berger, who has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings
produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Today
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
