O-shen shines in any lingo
POSTED: Friday, March 12, 2010
'Island Jewel'
O-shen
(Magnum)
O-shen has been a unique talent on Hawaii's Jawaiian “;island music”; scene for a decade. Raised in Papua New Guinea, he'll sometimes use Caribbean-accented English in his recordings for consumption here but is just as likely to use straight English or Niugini pidgin (also known there as tok pisin), the primary national language of PNG.
O-shen uses at least two languages on this DVD single, released to promote the release of an as-yet-untitled album. Shot in Fiji but recorded in Hawaii, it finds him at the top of his game paying homage in English and Niugini pidgin to a parade of beauties that collectively represent his “;princess of the Pacific Sea.”;
The next time O-shen makes a video incorporating beautiful beaches, beautiful scenery and beautiful women, some organization here should underwrite the endeavor to reap promotional benefits for Hawaii.
The video is on YouTube and free to download. Search for “;oshen island.”;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q97NZgxkbnQ
'The Ultimatum'
Creed Chameleon
(Flip the Bird Entertainment)
Creed Chameleon made significant contributions to Hawaii-based hip-hop with “;Love Potion Cyanide”; in 2006 and “;SIQ of Lazy”; in 2008. “;The Ultimatum,”; his first project on Tassho “;Emirc”; Pierce's Flip the Bird label, maintains those high standards.
He opens in full attack mode, referring to himself as Credence and Clockwork Carnage, and designating himself a “;freakazoid”; who is “;licensed to ill like a Beastie Boy.”;
With the “;ultimatum”; issued with the first cut, Creed moves on in a more conciliatory tone with a call to “;support hip-hop in general”; and promises to “;speak till I'm heard.”; Don't mistake this for weakness; he adds, for those who don't want to listen, “;I'm gonna flip the bird.”;
Some of his best work is in “;The Groupie Song”; as he explores the experience of meeting a seductive fan, only to discover the morning after that she wants more of him than he is willing to give. He calls the song a “;hit it quit it anthem,”; and is heard suggesting to the woman that she “;hit me up on Twitter or Facebook”; as the song fades out.
Creed's producer, Osna, adds an imaginative subtext to the story by using Player's 1977 hit, “;Baby Come Back,”; as the music bed. However, someone should have acknowledged the song's writers and publisher in the credits!
Luther Ingram's signature hit, “;If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right),”; and Gladys Knight's “;Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”; are used without attribution on other cuts.
”;Morning Blessing”;
”;The Groupie Song”;
”;Honolulu City”;
'Angel of the Islands'
Kiana
(no label)
The adage “;you can't judge a book by its cover”; is on point regarding Kiana Lea Ahovelo, a Waimanalo middle school student whose repertoire consists of English and Irish folk songs and selections from Italian opera.
There is a short but significant list of people from Hawaii who have had careers in opera—Keaumoku Louis, Tandy MacKenzie and Leslie “;Buz”; Tennant, to name three—so opera isn't an impossible dream for island kids. Willie K has been known to occasionally walk into an Irish bar and then bring down the house with “;Danny Boy,”; so why not a girl from Waimanalo?
“;Danny Boy”; is one of the standout numbers on her debut/demo album. She sings it with an age-appropriate sweetness that suggests perhaps a young girl in failing health bidding farewell to her brother who is leaving for another military deployment. “;Barbara Allen,”; a song of even older vintage, is also a good choice for her.
“;Ave Maria”; provides a promising glimpse of her religious repertoire. “;Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring”; and “;Caro Mio Ben”; also display her range.
Given the opportunity to participate in the lengthy training process required to develop that potential, Kiana could eventually add her name to the list of opera singers from Hawaii.
Sales of “;Angel of the Islands”; will help Kiana and her mother cover the cost of attending the famed summer music program at Interlochen, Mich. It is available at www.kianalea.com.
