Island Mele
Every album released by Kawai Cockett in the past has been a "must buy" for Hawaiian music fans and this one is no exception. Cockett starts the opening (and risqué) "Komo Pono" with a hearty shout, and from that point on, it's clear that this distinctive singer/instrumentalist is as strong as ever. "Still Strumming!"
Kawai Cockett
Hula RecordsCockett and co-producer Donald P. "Flip" McDiarmid III keep the arrangements clean and tradition-minded. Cockett's veteran sidemen, Sam Septimo (acoustic guitar) and Charlie Wahineho'okae (acoustic bass), are joined by pianist Leila Hohu Kiaha and steel guitarist Casey Olsen.
Extensive liner notes complete this perfect Hawaiian album by providing the lyrics, their English translations and basic kaona (hidden meanings) of the new songs and the classics alike.
www.Hawaii-Calls.com
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Komo Pono
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Hawaii is the only notable Pacific island group in which reggae-style music is not performed in the language of the indigenous people. That makes the title song of this debut album by Big Islanders Mele Delaries and Gerald "G" Farm Jr. a welcome step forward, since composer "Ponchoman" Kuanoni's lyrics alternate between English and Hawaiian verses. The arrangements otherwise are full-on commercial Jawaiian. Mele and G should have a statewide hit with this one! "Honihoni"
Mele, G & Company
Hula Records International"Come Hula With Me" is sprinkled with Hawaiian words, although it's hard to imagine hula danced to a reggae beat. The other original song "Lava Lava" plays on the similar sounds of the words "lava" and "love." The rest of their songs are all basic Jawaiian remakes already done twice over.
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Danny Couch has been known for most of his career as a pop balladeer, but in the four years since "These Islands" was used in the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant, he's also been recognized as a composer. The two most interesting songs here are originals of comparable quality and commercial appeal. The obvious local hit, "When Hawaiians Fall," a tribute to six fallen local music stars, is one of them. The other is "Kuuipo (My Sweetheart)," a soft romantic flight of fancy featuring Hawaiian narration. "Something to Remember"
Danny Couch
Danny Couch RecordsThe one odd choice is a karaoke version of "These Islands," which was originally released on his 1997 album, "Almost Paradise."
The ambiance throughout is smooth synth pop, as Couch includes several other originals and skillfully interprets a longer list of pop standards. His fans will also appreciate his printed thoughts on his music, on being Hawaiian and on the thieves who steal artists' music by burning them on blank CDs.
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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. Contact John Berger at jberger@starbulletin.com.
