Island Mele
Newcomers put ‘Pride’
into winning compilationPride of the Islands II: By various artists (KCCN)
Most of this year's winners evidently identify more with Jamaica than with the musical traditions of their kupuna.
Derick Sebastian (ukulele) is the exception. His tracks are relegated to the back half of the album. Both find him perpetuating a style of music that is uniquely Hawaiian. "Magic Room," his winning original, smoothly blends several melodies and deserves radio play. Teaming him with Pure Heart on Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther" was a great idea except that it is impossible to tell how much of the ukulele work is Sebastian's and how much is Jake Shimabukuro's.
That problem occurs elsewhere. When Pacific Blu reinforces Ka Nalo (group winner) on a Jawaiian rehash of 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up," it is impossible to tell how much Na Kalo contributed.
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TRISHA Nakamoto (female vocalist) stands out as the winner whose rendition of "All Over You" is more impressive than when she sang it in the contest finals. Nakamoto is memorable enough so that she didn't need Chant to do more than backing vocals -- but they did. Chant is also allowed to overshadow her on a routine remake of "Love Won't Let Me Wait" that should have presented her much more prominently.
Clayton Makali'i (male vocalist) made a good impression in the finals with "One of a Kind," a song "written in behalf of my mother" by the Rev. James McCurdy. Makali'i performed it solo on a Korg keyboard and the studio version captures the feel of his contest performance. When Na Waiho'olu'u'o'ke Anuenue joins him on "Lonely Tonight," a tune by Na Wai producer "Radical Rob" Onekea and Na Wai member Luisa Finau, he is submerged in Na Wai's sound. The arrangement is also 25 percent longer than it needs to be.
The same is true of Ka Nalo's winning original, "I Wonder." There are some good ideas among the recycled reggae riffs and pseudo-Jamaican affectations, but the song is twice as long as it needs to be.
The clarity of the interplay between Ryan Smythe (slack key) and Barry Flanagan makes their work a fine collaboration. Smythe shows a light touch on his original as well.
WITH four producers and nine engineers working on bits and pieces recorded in five studios this is a cut-and-paste project. It comes together quite well despite the fact that several of the producers evidently used it to position their own acts ahead of the contest winners.
Rhoda-Ann Kihikihi's annotation adds information about the contest, the winners, their songs, and all other relevant composer and publisher information. This is fine introduction to five promising new artists.
See Record Reviews for some of John Berger's 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 Home Zone
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
