Island Mele
John Kameaaloha Almeida, "The Dean of Hawaiian Music," was a multitalented musician with a commanding voice and a major figure in the history of the Hawaiian record industry. This perfect retrospective contains 22 of his recordings of songs he either wrote or was associated with. "John Kameaaloha Almeida"
John Kameaaloha Almeida
HanaOlaAlmeida was also a fluent native speaker, and his recordings are thus treasures for students of the Hawaiian language as well as for music fans. Producer Harry B. Soria Jr. serves both constituencies by providing a detailed account of Almeida's life and also meticulous transcriptions and English translations of the recordings. Keola Donaghy's notes on their significance further make this a "must buy" for anyone interested in the language or the music of Hawaii.
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Lei Hinahina
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The Kekai Boyz' debut album positions them as potentially the biggest act out of the Big Island since Ho'aikane morphed from Hawaiian traditionalists to pseudo-Jamaicans 14 years ago. The Boyz excel at parroting all the generic Jawaiian clichés, but "Tumbling Down" shows their interest in serious reggae, and other songs show that they have broader musical horizons. "Just An Illusion"
Kekai Boyz
Fearless Hawaiian EnterprisesMost of the originals are by band member C. Myke, and most are more interesting than the remakes. "Hey Girl" is a catchy Jawaiian-rock love song, "One Night Stand" laments an unintended emotional attachment and "Joonyah's Crib" is a semicomic account of unplanned parenthood. And although their claim to have improved on the Manhattans' classic "Shining Star" is a preposterous one, the Boyz' semiacoustic reggae version is strong enough to merit local radio play.
www.fearlesshawaiian.com
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This album marks the welcome return of Maui vocalist Hulu Lindsey, whose 1996 album, "Ku'u Makana Aloha," was, for the most part, a glorious celebration of traditional Hawaiian music. "Ho'anapau" is better. Lindsey and producer Kenneth Makuakane keep it strictly Hawaiian this time, with only a few English phrases used for effect. There are no pop songs or intrusive synthetic effects. Casey Olsen's steel guitar accents the traditional ambience of the arrangements. "Ho'anapau"
Hulu Lindsey
Kahulu ProductionsMost of the songs are Hawaiian-language standards by composers including John Kameaaloha Almeida, Pono Beamer and Alvin Kaleolani Isaacs Sr. Three new compositions by Napua Greig fit perfectly. Falsetto master Richard Ho'opi'i joins Lindsey on "Waiomina," and her two daughters harmonize with her on "Makee 'Ailana." And since Lindsey intends this to be a tribute to hula dancers, lyrics are included.
Write: Kahulu Productions, 52 Alokele Place, Pukalani, HI 96768
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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. Contact John Berger at jberger@starbulletin.com.
