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Island Mele John Berger |
Melveen Leed is a multi-talented island song stylist who can bring a fresh and instantly recognizable voice to almost any type of material. She is also a passionate and dynamic performer, and Leed's new album captures these qualities perfectly. "A Part of Me, A Part of You"
Melveen Leed
LehuaFive of the songs are newly written originals that display her interest in writing and recording free-flowing songs rather than conventional rhyming lyrics. "Love Is, Tau'atuahine" expresses her heartfelt love for her daughter Kaula. "Kailua" is a breezy retro '60s-styled hapa-haole song that she wrote shortly before a gig in the Windward town because "there are not many songs written about Kailua."
Leed was also one of the first local artists of her generation to record extensively in mainland studios. She went to Nashville to do this one, and many of the arrangements utilize banjo and steel guitar in ways that revive the "Hawaiian country" sound of her biggest local hits.
Write to:
Lehua Records
P.O. Box 1207
Honolulu, HI 96807-1207
Mpeg Audio Clips:
"Kailua"
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Even though Darlene Ahuna has won several Hoku awards, she still seems less visible outside the Big Island compared to her falsetto singing compatriots Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom and Raiatea Helm. Ahuna is second to none, however, in her wide-ranging vocal style. Chalk up this sixth album as another gem. "Bridge Between Generations"
Darlene Ahuna
HanaOlaThe title aptly describes the album's theme and the contents. Ahuna and a group of excellent musicians revisit 14 Hawaiian and hapa-haole standards of her kupunas' era and shares them with the generation that will eventually follow her footsteps.
Ahuna sings in a smooth nahenahe (melodious) style that enhances the beauty of these island classics, with "Kalama'ula" and "Ho'onanea" particularly sweet.
Bridging the generations involves more than just the music itself, and Ahuna's annotators do the rest by providing the song lyrics, translations and needed background information.
cordinternational.com
Mpeg Audio Clips:
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Rap and hip hop are so thoroughly an outgrowth of African-American culture that the work of those born and raised outside of it must always be approached with care. For every Eminem, there are many copycats, but GYS quickly passes the credibility test. While the street culture references are routine, the music tracks are catchy and the trio -- Druid, 7 and Elowen -- prove competent performers and imaginative writers. "The Formula"
GYS
Kamikaze"I'm on the Radio" shares information about GYS, while mocking those who try too hard to be hip. "You Got Me?" will ring true for any man who has felt that his significant other is paying too much attention to her girlfriends' opinions.
The group also reveals a softer side. In "Thought You Loved Me," the protagonist apologizes to a woman for his behavior. "You and Me" and "Everything In Time" are love songs, and "Spoken Word (Outro)" closes with a prayer.
gyshiphop.com
Mpeg Audio Clips:
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
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.
