Hawaii fans Three years ago, there was a radio hit entitled "Say You'll Stay." It was one of those romantic urban R&B ballads with a breathless, tremulous lead male vocal guaranteed to melt female hearts. It had that sound and emotion that immediately appealed to local listeners.
stay with Kai,
changes and all
Concert should help cement
the Bay Area group's isle tiesBut it wasn't the latest hit from Boyz II Men, K-Ci & JoJo or Blackstreet. Instead, the silky sweet voices belonged to five young Asian-American men from the Bay Area.
And while sales of their latest CD "The Promise" have been strong and steady in Honolulu, most fans of the group are surprised to find out that they're not "local." After all, they look it, what with Andrey Silva, Errol Viray, A.C. Lorenzo and Johnny Misa being Filipino, and the fifth, low-voiced Leo Chan, a Hong Kong-born Chinese.
As the singing group Kai (shortened from the Tagalog word "kaibigan," which could both mean "harmony" or "friend"), they'll be making their anticipated Hawaii concert debut tomorrow.
While the group had a brief association with the major Geffen label three years ago that helped make "Say You'll Stay" a hit here in Hawaii, once the label was bought by MCA/Interscope, Kai apparently didn't fit in with the new owner's plans and were dropped from the label's roster.
Now, with a third album, "The Promise" (on their management's C3D label) being buoyed by radio play of their Stephen Bishop "It Might Be You" cover, it looks like Hawaii has stayed in Kai's corner, not only through a bit of a career setback but also with the departure of original member Andrew Gapuz, who was replaced by Misa.
Gapuz and Leo Chan were recruited by A.C. Lorenzo back in 1992 to sing with him at a San Francisco benefit concert. Even though it was subsequently cancelled, the three stuck together, calling themselves Apex. Silva and Viray were brought in three years later and Kai was born.
The group continues to be a popular performing act in the Bay Area -- the Asian version of 'N Sync, and, arguably, possessors of equally fine or better singing voices. The Geffen album tried to build on the regional success of Kai's debut independent recording. With committed marketing, that CD could've broke Kai nationwide.
Hawaii fans aren't waiting, buying into "The Promise." With songs like "Be Gone" (complete with a catchy hook of a chorus), "I've Got A Thing for You" and "Promise," Kai's ties with island fans should strengthen with this concert.
Gary C. W. Chun, Star-Bulletin
Who: Kai, with Forté, The Beaters, Simply Shy and Nicole Doran In concert
Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
Time: 7 p.m. tomorrow
Tickets: $30 and $25, discounts for students, military and senior citizens with ID
Call: 526-3515
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