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Island Mele John Berger |
"On My Mind"
Tiera Kekaula
A Guava Ding ThingTiera Kekaula, daughter of TV sportscaster (and record label owner) Robert Kekaula, has been a guest on several of her dad's albums, and her debut as a solo artist looks to be a success for both dad and daughter. It's significant that Dad and producer Sean Na'auao have enough faith in Tiera as an artist that they're introducing her with a full album of original songs rather than remakes. The arrangements are mostly Jawaiian-pop and perfect for local consumption. In short, Tiera should be a summer hit with island teens.
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"I Don't Wanna Be Just Your Friend
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 infoTiera opens strong with "I Don't Wanna Be Just Your Friend," a catchy tune with a hint of Wilson-Phillips in the vocal arrangement. She sings sweetly of love and romantic turmoil in age-appropriate terms in the other songs as well. "Akaku" stands out as a contemporary hapa-haole song and Na'auao joins her to make "Sad Eyes" a rather enigmatic duet.
Call: (808) 671-1771
Producer "Flip" McDiarmid's fourth falsetto winners compilation emphasizes last year's winners -- Gary Medeiros and Daniel "Kaniala" Kekaoha Masoe -- rather than reviewing a cross-section of the winners to date. Medeiros and Masoe have four songs each, and among them are studio versions of the songs they won with -- Medeiros' stirring rendition of " 'Alika" and Masoe's take on "Kalama'ula." Two earlier winners of the Clyde "Kindy" Sproat Falsetto & Storytelling Contest, Stan Priddy (1999) and "Chan" Abenes (2002) complete the album with two songs each. "Aloha Festival's
Various artists
Hawaiian Falsetto Contest
Winners IV"
Hula RecordsWhile McDiarmid's first three albums in the series were Hoku winners three years in a row, "Winners IV" is just as good, and a fine introduction to two more talented falsetto singers, as well.
www.hularecords.com
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Hawaiian traditionalists can expect to enjoy this 23-song celebration of Hawaiian and hapa-haole music. The veteran Manny Fernandez and his musicians epitomize the nahenahe sound of the Territorial Era with their renditions of sweet island standards such as "Paoakalani" and "Waikiki." The group's harmonies are soft and smooth and the instrumental arrangements almost entirely acoustic. Fernandez's lead vocals further accentuate the old-time ambiance. "In This Enchanted Place"
Manny K. Fernandez
Self-releaseFernandez also includes a few, more obscure songs along with the standards. He shares three of his favorite kolohe songs as "Maui Medley" and mentions in his liner notes that this may be the first time that Andy Cummings' "Coconut Island" has been recorded.
The music is beautiful in and of itself -- the additional information of Fernandez's family history and the significance that each song has to him only completes this special project.
www.hawaiiangatherings.com
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See the Columnists section for some past reviews.
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.
