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"Sweet Surprise!"

Cecilio Rodriguez
HanaOla

Rodriguez has an impressive rŽsumŽ as a songwriter and recording artist as "Cee" of Cecilio & Kapono. He has devoted most of his creative energy over the years to C&K, rather than to solo projects, so this is only his third full-length solo in 21 years.

Given the enduring popularity of C&K, it's not surprising that he and co-producer George Lawton wisely stayed with the musical approach that has worked so well for the duo. With Rodriguez mostly recording vocal overdubs, the songs generally come close to the ever-popular duo sound, even without Henry Kapono joining in on harmonies.

The annotators don't reveal why Rodriguez chose to do Lyle Lovett's "If I Had a Boat," but the originals reaffirm his lyrical skill at expressing the pain of lost love or describing the complications that come with an illicit relationship.

The arrangements reflect Rodriguez' love of rock and the music of the Caribbean and Latin America.

URL HERE

Mpeg Audio Clips: "You Never Told Me About Him" "Liliana" "Sweet Surprise" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Of Love & Lust"

Lowie Boy
Tiki Entertainment

Lowie Boy is a member of Big Teeze's Tiki Entertainment ohana, but with Spookahuna as co-producer, he introduces himself with an album of original hip-hop and Jawaiian music that doesn't sound like a knockoff of Teeze's work, or a one-size-fits-all assembly line project. There's heavier use of Jawaiian rhythms and generic Rasta-wannabe rapping here, but Lowie Boy and special guest Shango eschew remakes or the problematic use of portions of other artists' hits.

Better still, there are several nicely written potential hits here. "I Will In Time" is an articulate ode to the dream woman (and future bride) Lowie hasn't met yet. With "Won't Stop Lovin' You," he moves the story forward to express the feelings of romantic men everywhere. Both songs merit local radio play, others will appeal to "island music" fans.

URL HERE

Mpeg Audio Clips: "I Will In Time" "Won't Stop Lovin' You" "My Love (Ragga Remix)" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Hawaiian Style Christmas"

Various artists
Neos Productions

Has Halloween joined Thanksgiving as just another speed bump on the way to the commercial "holiday season?" If so, producer Patti St. John is right on time with the pre-Halloween release of this low-budget Christmas anthology.

Natural Vibrations' "Starr," an imaginative reworking of "We Three Kings," is the most impressive selection. Reality's generic Jawaiian rehash of "Santa Baby" isn't the worst here, but the duo takes huge liberties with the lyrics while failing to capture any of the saucy charm of the Eartha Kitt original.

It's a shame St. John didn't bother to provide information on the artists. Some are unknowns, and whatever possessed Bruddah Walta to use "Dreams" as a melodic hook on "White Christmas" without crediting the composers?

URL HERE

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Blue Christmas" "Santa Baby" "White Christmas" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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