Island Mele

By John Berger

"Keep It Together"

Typical Hawaiians Cinnamon Red

The music is typically Jawaiian rather than Hawaiian, but the trio of Typical Hawaiians -- Thompson Enos, Taz Vegas and Bruce Zuleta -- step to the forefront of the Jawaiian scene with this collection of reggae-beat, ska and calypso music. Each song is an original and the production values are strong (Kahi Fernandez, the Mana'o Company horns and multitalented Jamin Wong provide most of the music; O-shen appears as a guest vocalist).

The title track makes brief reference to Rastafarian ideals, but Typical Hawaiians are about women, sex, relationships and the act of playing reggae music, not politics. "She's a Virgin" is their lighthearted tale of pursuing an unresponsive woman. Enos' "Don't Cry" is one of several other songs that address deeper issues. It is excellent local-style reggae.

Write: Cinnamon Red Entertainment
P.O. Box 26109
Honolulu Hawaii 96825

Mpeg Audio Clips: One Thing She's A Virgin Don't Cry Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

"Pana"

Ned Ka'apana Koa

Ned Ka'apana has a secure place in Hawaiian music history as a member of Hui Ohana, but he has been the least visible of the defunct trio since then. "Pana," Ka'apana's first album since 1996, reintroduces him as an artist with equal command of Hawaiian standards, originals and American acoustic pop. It also introduces his oldest brother, Keoki, who plays six-string ukulele on several songs.

Ned, who handles the vocals and plays guitar, electric bass and four-string ukulele, maintains a traditionalist Hawaiian ambience throughout. Hawaiian music fans will find no reggae or "world music" here; even the pop tunes have a comfortable acoustic Hawaiian feel. The brothers' ukulele duets ("The Stars and Stripes Forever" and "12th Street Rag") are also Hawaiian in context.

"Pana" is Ned's best album to date, and a fine debut for Keoki as well.

Email: koa_records@hotmail.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: Wai Ulu The Stars And Sripes Forever A Place In The Sun Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

"Blue Jeans"

Yasmeen MCA/Magic Johnson Music

Yasmeen Sulieman won a demo record deal and a spot on a Brown Bags anthology at Brown Bags to Stardom in 1998, but she and her parents passed on the I-94 deal and signed with John Iervolino instead.

Iervolino and producer Carlos Villalobos launched her with a polished CD-single that received no notable local response. Sulieman subsequently went to the mainland in search of a lucky break. Her new CD-single shows she found one.

The song is a basic contemporary urban tune about a woman who is enraptured by the way the object of her desire is "rocking" his bluejeans. Sulieman sounds as commercial as almost any of the young diva-ettes already on the Hot 100 and urban charts, but there is nothing here to distinguish her from all the others, either.

www.mcarecords.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: Blue Jeans Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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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.