Island Mele
Friday, August 17, 2001
"Kamakele" "BULLA" KAILIWAI WON the Big Island's Clyde "Kindy" Sproat Storytelling and Falsetto Singing Contest in 1997. His debut album is a winner in both categories. Beautiful arrangements provide the musical foundation for equally compelling vocal performances.
"Bulla" Kailiwai - Hula Records (CDHS-616)"Ka Nani O Na Pali" and "Ku'u Pua O Ke Aumoe," originals he co-wrote with Kealoha'aina Simeona, show that Kailiwai can sing brisk uptempo tunes or sweet ballads with equal finesse. He does equally well with Hawaiian standards; among the latter are "'Ano'i Pua" and "Hula O Makee." Producers Randy Sugita and Don "Flip" McDiarmid support Kailiwai with a small army of studio musicians but the various combinations of acoustic and electric instruments mesh well in a well-crafted celebration of traditional Hawaiian falsetto.
http://www.hawaii-calls.com
MP3 Audio Clips:
Ka Nani O Na Pali
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
"E Ho'i Na Wai" WATER--LIFE-GIVING AND precious in many contexts--is the recurring image as Cody Pueo Pata introduces himself with this beautiful Hawaiian-language album. Translations aren't included but will eventually be available on his website at www.ululoa.com.
Cody Pueo Pata - Ululoa Productions (UL103)Pata's renditions of "Kaihekulani" and "He Aloha Ku'u Ipo" show his falsetto skill. "Lei Of Love," sung in a slightly lower register, also adds diversity as the only hapa-haole song. "He Wehi Ke Ao No Kaua'ula" is one of two original chants; it's one of several songs Pata wrote for specific special people.
Pata's multi-track vocals on "'Iniki Malie" creates the impression that a group is singing. That bit of studio trickery makes the song especially memorable amid all his musical creations.
http://www.ululoa.com
MP3 Audio Clips:
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
"Island Born" KEOLA BEAMER TOOK A BREAK from his ongoing participation in George Winston's Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Masters series to do this album for his own label. It's an excellent musical portrait of a versatile and complex artist. The title song establishes the theme and shares his feelings about what it means to be Hawaiian. "True Hawaiian Way" and "Old Man Pueo" offer similar insights.
Keola Beamer - 'Ohe (96118)Beamer's uses of traditional Hawaiian instruments reinforces the sense spiritual links to kupuna and 'aina. The work of several guests adds to the richness of the music. John Kolivas provides the foundation on acoustic bass.
Slack-key fans will find Beamer's imaginative reworking of "Makee 'Ailana" particularly interesting. Beamer slows the tempo and then deconstructs the melody with a series of tapping and scratching techniques as well as conventional hammer-ons. (The album includes the slack-key tunings for fans who want to try playing at home.)
http://www.kbeamer.com
MP3 Audio Clips:
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.
