”;Aloha Kalikimaka: A Hawaiian Christmas”;

Maui Jam
(Maui Jam)

Here is another good choice for music to mellow out with after a stressful crawl through Christmas season gridlock and shopping mall incivility. Maui-based Island Jam celebrates the holiday with an assortment of seasonal standards played in traditional island style. The synth tracks that serve a sonic filler on several cuts aren't necessary, but they aren't overly intrusive either.

“;Hawaiian Santa”; and “;Aloha Kalikimaka”; stand out as two of the group's best numbers. Both convey the sense of friends sharing their music with friends in informal heartfelt style. Fea-B-Lei Alcomindras makes her single showcase number, a crisp and sweet rendition of “;Christmas Island,”; particularly memorable. Pianist Fulton Tashombe is an asset to the group as well.

There's something about the group's recording of “;Po La'i E”; that gives the impression that two different takes were mixed together during playback, but given the “;silent night, holy night”; theme, the result sounds more like a dream than a recording studio error.

www.mauislackkey.com

“E Aloha E”
“Christmas Island”
“Po La‘i E”

”;Like Ocean, Like Lace”;

Cheryl Bartlett
(Akimbo Productions)

Cheryl Bartlett's full-length album is a bold and beautiful debut. Bold because almost every song is an original, beautiful for the airy acoustic arrangements that complement her sweet voice and engaging lyrics, well, beautifully. Her voice is a delightful instrument over and above the emotions she conveys with it; a Portuguese number proves the point.

Acoustic melodies accented with flute, guitar and catchy Latin rhythms predominate, and they fulfill the promise made with the cover art, but Bartlett taps other genres as well. Ozzie Kotani is her sole accompanist on “;Aloha U'ilani,”; an original hapa-haole song that draws on her classical vocal training. With guitar and electric keyboards backing her on “;A Million Miles,”; Bartlett shares a memorable taste of her pop capabilities.

www.CherylSongs.com

“Can I Touch Your Heart”
“Aloha U’ilani”
“A Million Miles”

”;Free Again”;

Kontiki
(Kontiki Music Group)

Kontiki is a Tongan-American trio that is based in California and, presumably, also records there, which means this album isn't actually a product of the Hawaii recording industry. However, since the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts (HARA) allows nonresident acts to compete in the Hoku Awards, we'll slip them in here as well. Take note, Hawaii: Kontiki gives our local “;kanakafarians”; some tough competition.

Unlike most Jawaiian artists, Kontiki can do reggae-style songs in their ancestral language as well as English, although a guest artist gets the spotlight on the centerpiece Tongan song.

Mainstream reggae-pop audiences will enjoy the humor in “;Coyote Ugly,”; a cautionary tale about the dangers of hooking up while under the influence. “;Prophecies Fulfilled”; positions the trio as Rastafari rather than conventional Christians in anticipating the Apocalypse, and a remake of “;Hard To Say I'm Sorry”; adds a commercial pop number that should be perfect for play by Hawaii's self-styled “;island music”; radio stations.

www.kontikimuzic.com

“Hard To Say I’m Sorry”
“Coyote Ugly”
“Prophecies Fulfilled”