Please support our very first Starbulletin.com advertiser!

Island Mele

Friday, February 23, 2001

By John Berger

Humble Soul plays
true roots reggae

Jah Love Supreme:
By Humble Soul (Crucial Runnings Productions CRP1111)

DOUG Bautista aka Humble Soul does it all right with his second album of true roots reggae originals. With The Scientist as producer/engineer and Peter Tosh Band veterans as his core musicians, Bautista maintains a pure reggae groove whether giving thanks and praises to Jah or denouncing the frauds and posers who misrepresent Rastafari for commercial gain.

"Army Of Parasites" calls on freedom fighters worldwide to resist oppression with faith in Jah rather than violence. Other songs cover spiritual faith and handling stress in daily life. The music and Bautista's unaffected delivery ties all together.

Email: crucial@aloha.net

MP3 Audio Clips: Fly With Me Bird's Eye View Thank You Rasta Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

---

Love for Music:
By Kahiau (Poi Pounder)

KAHIAU makes a striking and ironic comment on the state of local culture these days by using Jamaican rhythms and Rastafari vocabulary to decry the loss of "native ways" and Hawaiian culture. The aptly titled "State Of Confusion" is one of eight songs written by band member Cheyenne Kaniho for Kahiau's highly commercial debut.

Kahiau and producer Sean Na'auao include a broad spectrum of island music styles from faux Jamaican to solid local-style reggae. They mix genres effectively on "Lahaina Block Party" and address the collateral costs of substance abuse with "Feel Sorry For You."

A straight acoustic remake of "A Horse With No Name " as an unlisted final track shows that Kahiau is more than just another young Jawaiian band.

http://www.mountainapplecompany.com

MP3 Audio Clips: Love For Music State of Confusion A Horse With No Name Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

---

Hawaiian Born Volume 2:
By various (Neos Productions)

THIS sampler is 50 percent new songs or new versions of old ones and 50 percent old songs culled unchanged from other albums. New takes on Lance Kalahiki's "Free The Land" and Norm's "Hawaiian Born" are the strongest "new" entries but Annette's poppy Jawaiian lite "Baby Baby" should be big on "island music" radio. Most of the other songs are all Jawaiian as well.

Skimpy liner notes add no information on the artists or a reason to buy their work here. Fans of these acts surely have their favorites' albums already.

http://www.neosproductions.com

MP3 Audio Clips: Hawaiian Born (New Version) Norm Free The Land (Re-Mix) Lance Kalahiki Baby Baby Annette 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.