”;'I”;

Natalie Ai Kamauu
(Keko)

Several albums would represent Hawaii well as the winner of the Hawaiian music category at the 2009 Grammy Awards. “;'I”; is one of them.

First and foremost, Natalie Ai Kamauu sings beautifully. The arrangements make good use of her musicians' talents, but she is always the focal point. The selections include Hawaiian standards, original compositions and poetry she set to music. Plus, an enchanting remake of “;Evergreen”; adds a glimpse of her pop capabilities.

As for variety, Kamauu uses a bit of the Beatles' “;Here Comes The Sun”; as the opener to “;E Ala E,”; sets an e.e. cummings poem to an original melody with “;I Carry Your Heart”; and pays homage to her kupuna with a spirited contemporary hapa-haole number, “;Hula Baby.”; These songs and others show that Kamauu honors her heritage and is participating in its evolution as well.

Kamauu completes this perfect Hawaiian album by including the Hawaiian lyrics, English translations and a wealth of additional information on the personal significance of each song.

  ”;E Ala E”;
”;Ka Wai Mukiki”;/Puna I Ka Ulu Aloha
”;Evergreen”; 

”;Acoustic Beauty”;

Tahiti Rey
(Rey of Light)

Tahiti Rey's first full-length album presents her as a mature modern pop artist with national potential.

Rey's strengths as a pop stylist are emphasized with sparse acoustic arrangements of proven material. A single guitar is the primary instrument; acoustic percussion adds a bit more punch. Anyone hearing “;Toxic”; or “;No One”; for the first time will embrace Rey's soulful renditions; pop fans familiar with the original hits will likely applaud her reworked versions.

“;Over the Rainbow”; shows her command of pop standards and “;Contigo en la Distancia,”; sung in Spanish, is a romantic-sounding nod to her Hispanic heritage.

Including a hapa-haole song on the album was a good idea, but doing “;Haleiwa Hula”; was not. The song has been Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom's musical signature since she included it on her “;Hawaiian Tradition”; album in 1997, and her version will be the definitive one for years to come.

www.tahitirey.com

”;Give Me Butterflies”;
”;Oxygen”;
”;Over The Rainbow”; 

”;Kimo's Slack Key Hawaiian Christmas”;

James “;Kimo”; West
(Westernmost)

The soothing sound of slack-key guitar is perfect for Christmas music—beautiful in and of itself, and as an antidote to the seasonal stress. James “;Kimo”; West makes a welcome contribution to the short list of slack-key Christmas albums with this collection of 11 holiday standards and a single original, “;Mauna Kea Sleigh Ride.”;

West would have added value to the album by including information on the slack-key tunings he uses, but anyone interested only in mellow background music for Christmas listening need look no further. Fans of the genre will enjoy his work and others might be intrigued enough to seek out more information on it.

www.jimkimowest.com

”;Deck The Halls”;
”;Joy To The World”;
”;The First Noel”;