Island Mele
The Alai'asa brothers - Norris, Kalili, Donny and Steve - sing tight four-part harmony. They record with Kahe Fernandez as their synthetic band and Sean Na'auao on "live instruments." The results are sometimes generic but Toa makes an impressive debut overall. "Toa"
Toa
(Poi Pounder)"Let Me Be," one of four originals, alternates between English and Samoan lyrics and grooves to commercial reggae-style rhythms. Other songs show Toa's strength with classic '60s soul and local "urban" music. Toa reworks Olomana's "Lullabye" as an "urban" number, and gives a unique Samoan ambiance to "Waiting in Vain."
Translations aren't included for the Samoan songs that open and close the album, but give the guys credit for being in touch with their culture and language.
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O Le Afi
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Lisa Matsumoto has received so much acclaim for "translating" European-American fairy tales into pidgin that this album may shock some of her fans. Yes, Kent Bowman came up with the idea more than 40 years ago! Bowman charmed island kids in 1961 with six familiar tales retold in the pidgin of the Territorial Era. "Pidgin English Children's Stories"
Kent Bowman
(Hula)Goldie the Blonde Malihini from Califrisco met three pua'a (pigs) instead of bears and "cock-a-roached" their chicken luau instead of porridge. Rumple Dakineskin helped a kumu (beautiful woman) turn taro leaves into kala (money), and a supernatural shark replaced the wolf in "'Ekolu Keiki Pua'a."
This new rerelease has all the charm of the original vinyl album and updated annotation too.
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Jesse Rivera struggled for years to get local radio play before he discovered "synergy" as a public service idea. Gov. Ben Cayetano agreed to create a "Synergy Hawaii Day," and three friends helped Rivera write a song for it. "Give Aloha"
Various artists
(Synergy Hawaii Day)Rivera got some major acts to join him in recording it as a music video, and, with the statewide preview of "Alone In IZ World" as precedent, most local radio and television stations aired "Give Aloha" simultaneously - as a one-time public service - last November. It was released as a CD-single four months later.
David Kauahikaua's synth-track arrangement hews to the format introduced by "We Are the World" in 1985. Rivera introduces the song and sings the first line; Genoa Keawe, Melveen Leed and Chinky Mahoe are among those who follow. Any proceeds after expenses will go to Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii.
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E-mail jesse@hi.net
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.
