Brothers’ remakes
rewarding
20 Years of Hoku Award Winning Songs: By Brothers Cazimero (Mountain Apple Company)
HERE'S the exception to the rule about albums of remakes being problematic. The Brothers' album of remakes is not only not problematic, it will certainly stand as one of the best and most significant local albums of 1997. Count it an early front-runner for honors at the 1998 Hoku Awards.
Imagination, creativity and distinctive style are the keys. Brothers Robert and Roland utilize their formidable skills to deconstruct and reconstruct familiar songs in fresh, exciting ways.
Their success is even more remarkable given the dissimilar styles and quality of the Hoku "Song of the Year" winners which fill the disc. Some have stood the test of time. Others weren't all that much in the first place and reflect the influence of friendships, industry politics and record label loyalties on the Hoku Awards process.
The Brothers and producer Jon de Mello do justice to the true classics and revitalize the lackluster songs.
Some of the new arrangements may not be popular; none lacks vision. Several use bits of other songs (Attentive listeners will note "Walk Don't Run" and the "Hawaiian Eye" theme). "Brown Man Blues" and "Broken Promise" are neatly packaged as a medley; so are "Morning Dew" and "Waimea Lullaby." An uptempo take on "Honolulu City Lights" is another highlight.
There are no duds. Fresh discoveries await each listening. Song lyrics are included; de Mello's liner notes complete the package.
Ku'e: By Sudden Rush (Way Out West Enterprises)
SUDDEN Rush makes good on the promise shown by its recent six-song mini-album with this full-length album of modern Hawaiian rap. The arrangements have a professional mainstream urban sound but the lyrics address issues relevant to Hawaiians -- land use, cultural identity, the hazards of drug use, and the criminal overthrow of the Hawaiian government in 1893. The title is translated as "to oppose, resist: stand different."
The trio uses the rhythmic and lyric traditions of African-American and Afro-Caribbean music but almost never falls into rasta or gangsta-wannabe posing.
Melodic urban dance tracks and various guest artists add diversity; so does the use of Hawaiian lyrics and brief sound-bites of unidentified people discussing Hawaiian issues. A call-and-response number, "Hawaiian Pride," should be a rallying cry for the Hawaiian nation; "True Hawaiian" and "Ku'e" are other cultural highlights.
A couple of bits suggest the trio might want to refine its perspectives. The American occupation does not automatically excuse or justify every act of violence by Hawaiians. The African-American "brother man/other man" dichotomy may be interpreted as racist by non-Hawaiians even if not intended that way.
John Berger, who has covered the local entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Home Zone section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
See Record Reviews for some of John Berger's past reviews.
