'Kawelona'

Keale
(Rhythm & Roots)

Keale dropped his haole name several years ago and, like many Hawaiians prior to the overthrow, uses a single name instead of two. His second album for Milton and Chris Lau's label builds on the high standards set by his first, “;Kahikina,”; in 2007.

Keale is again bringing forward the musical legacy of his ohana but does so in his own distinct style. His choices regarding the instrumentation—all of it acoustic—give the newly written songs a solid traditionalist foundation. Violin and mandolin were once far more prominent in Hawaiian music than they are today, and his voice adds depth to older selections as well.

A nursery rhyme becomes the vehicle for a lesson in Hawaiian culture in “;Itsy Bitsy Spider/Hawaiian Elements.”; “;'Nalu' Blues,”; a deconstruction of Liko Martin and Thor Wold's iconic “;Nanakuli Blues,”; demonstrates his imagination as an arranger. And, in a “;live”; concert performance of “;Hawaii '78/In the Life”; he makes a memorable statement about music and culture.

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”;Sister”;
”;Aloha Kaeo”;
”;Ride The Sun”;