Island Mele
Sunday, July 1, 2001
Taito family in
faithful debut"Loving God, Loving Each Other" The Taito Family performs as a septet that includes family patriarch Levi Sr., his three sons (Levi Jr., Ace and Lima), and three musicians. They enlisted producer/engineer Pierre "Petelo" Grill to provide reinforcement as an additional musician when they recorded this collection of Christian hymns. Grill is a master when it comes to sitting in and enhancing a group's work without overwhelming it. This album is a fine debut.
The Taito Family - The Taito Family (TFCD-520)The title of the album says it all about where the Taitos are coming from. Smooth harmonies and earnest testament are their strengths as performers. Their voices are soothing and the lyrics offer comfort. Grill slips in some extra instruments and adds the details that provide the final touches to the musical arrangements that support the voices as the Taitos share their vision of peace and faith in Christ.
MP3 Audio Clips:
Yes I Know
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
"Holiday for Strings" Herb "Ohta-san" Ohta wasn't the first to take the ukulele beyond the recognized frontiers of Hawaiian music, but no 20th century ukulele player has done more to redefine the capabilities of the instrument or had more lasting impact. The taciturn virtuoso has successfully interpreted almost everything from pop to the works of Europe's great classical composers.
Ohta-san - M&H Hawaii (MHcd2721)European classical music is Ohta's primary focus here as he explores 14 melodies picked apparently at random from his almost unlimited repertoire. Ohta's virtuosity is to be expected but the absence of intrusive synth-track add-ons allows the purity of his performance to be fully appreciated. "Rhapsody in Blue" and the title track add contemporary songs to the collection. Both fit in nicely. This is Ohta at his best and a great addition to his discography.
M&H Hawaii, P.O. Box 325,
1164 Bishop Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
MP3 Audio Clips:
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
"Tutu Lady by the Sea" The Hoku Award-winning Longakit ohana goes Jawaiian with this CD single previewing the upcoming third album by Hilo-based siblings Pomai and Loeka. The duo won a Hoku in 1999 for their debut album, "1st Thing's 1st," and had a local hit later that year with their "Come A'ama Crab" CD single. This is a promising follow-up.
Pomai & Loeka - L&L Morning Star (No serial number)As with most of the duo's material, the song was written by their father, guitarist Lloyd Longakit, and assembled with an assist from the fourth member of the team, studio engineer Randy Sugita. The theme is similar since the tutu in this song goes to the sea to pick opihi.
Pomai is the featured vocalist. She has developed a sweetly enticing singing style; Loeka adds some rap. The disc presents two almost identical versions plus a "minus one" version for karaoke use.
Email: leoka@gte.net
MP3 Audio Clips:
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
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.
