Island Mele

Friday, October 26, 2001

By John Berger

"Christmas Gift 2"

Na Leo
NLP Music

Christmas ads are already running, so why wait to enjoy Na Leo's second Christmas album? The first won a Hoku in 1999. "Gift 2" is at least that good. It includes everything from politically correct secular tunes to songs that reaffirm the truth that Christmas per se is ultimately about Christ's birth.

Na Leo's take on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is a perfect opener. An imaginative version of Kenny Loggins' "Celebrate Me Home" is also excellent. Na Leo's originals are strong too; "Christmas in Your Eyes" is the likely hit, but two whimsical new songs, "The Happiest Time of the Year" and "Santa Island" featuring Frank B. Shaner, are also appealing.

"Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" falls short of Brenda Lee's original hit, but Na Leo's version of "Numbah One Day of Christmas" is a great finale.

www.naleo.net

MP3 Audio Clips: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Christmas In Your Eyes Santa Island Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

"Paradise Honolulu"

Hawaii Shochiku Orchestra
HanaOla

Music historian Billy Rose shares another fascinating page in local history with this perfect retrospective on the Hawaii Shochiku Orchestra. The format follows that of his superb "Club Nisei" anthologies. The story and music of the Hawaii Shochiku Orchestra is every bit as interesting.

Francis Zanami and Masaji Uyehara formed the group in 1946. They played an eclectic mix of post-war Japanese pop songs, older tunes that had been hits as morale builders for the Imperial Japanese Army during the so-called "China Incident," and songs newly written to honor the Japanese- and Okinawan-Americans who had fought for the United States.

Swing dancers will dig "Jonetsu Musume" and the Latin rhythms of "Ie Rai Shan." Listeners will note an occasional English phrase, and "hapa-kapeni" songs about Hawaii written in Japanese -- perhaps a unique genre. Rose's meticulous liner notes put the history of Okinawans like Zanami and Uyehara in full perspective.

www.cordinternational.com

MP3 Audio Clips: Paradaisu Honoruru (Paradise Honolulu) Waikiki No Yoru (Waikiki Nights) Honolulu No Lei Uri Musume (Honolulu Lei Selling Girl) Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

"Our Nation In Song"

DisGuyz
Afterthought Entertainment

The first song written and recorded here in response to the Sept. 11 attacks is out at last. Jason Lent, leader of DisGuyz, and élan, the other half of the label's songwriting team, conceived it during a DisGuyz recording session the night of the attacks. The quintet recorded it at once and took demo copies to Honolulu television and radio stations in the morning. Eddy L of 98.5 Island Rhythms added comments from President Bush to create "Our Nation in Song (98.5 Remix)." It took much longer than expected to get the record manufactured as a CD single but the need for spiritual healing and financial aid, in Hawaii as well as on the mainland, remains.

Six weeks after Sept. 11, the song stands as a moving anthem. The recording -- smooth, soulful and heartfelt -- is a career-best for DisGuyz, as well as for Lent and élan as writer/producers. A karaoke version and the Eddy L remix complete the package.

www.olindaroad.com

MP3 Audio Clips: Our Nation In Song Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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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.