Aloha mai!Wow! Christmas time is great for Hawaiian music lovers! Not only do we get a flood of CDs, trying to qualify for next year's Na Hoku Hanohano awards, but we get lots of great concerts too! It's the best of both worlds.
I haven't had a chance to hear live concerts in a while due to my move, and so it was a special treat to hear Keali'i Reichel live at the Hawaii State Bar Convention in November. Keali'i is always a charismatic performer, with a personal style that seems to touch every listener. When he sang his latest, "Maunaleo" (clip available below!), it was as if a veil of peace descended on the audience ... unusual for a crowd of lawyers! (Hey, I'm a lawyer in my day job -- I can get away with saying that! [g]). He got a standing ovation at the end of the concert, and as I told him later, "Attorneys just don't do that to be nice ... they _meant_ it!" Keali'i has a new and unique CD out -- check out the details below!
Robert Cazimero fans will have to hold their breaths a bit -- Robert was singing once a month at dinner at the Kahala Moon Cafe. I just heard that the Cafe will be closing, and that thus Robert will not be performing there anymore. Hopefully he'll find another venue soon, and I'll report it as soon as I hear about it.
And now -- on to the CDs!
Recordings
Keali'i Reichel, Kekuhi Kanahele, and Uluwehi Guerrero, Pride of Punahele (Punahele Productions PPCD 006) Punahele Productions has had a small but choice stable: Keali'i Reichel, one of Hawaiian music's brightest stars; Kekuhi Kanahele, she of the amazing voice,' and Uluwehi Guerrero, with one of the smoothest falsettos in Hawaiian music. Pride of Punahele selects five songs from each of them from prior releases, plus a new song from Keali'i, the soothing Maunaleo mentioned above. Songs on the CD include "The Toad Song," "Kawaipunahele," "Hahani Mai," "Don't Cry 'Oe," and "Radio Hula."
But the songs are only half of the CD -- because this isn't just an audio CD -- it can be played on PCs running Windows to show you Keali'i -- you can see him chanting, you can play puzzles involving scenes from his concerts, and you can even (as I have) put a really cool screensaver on your PC featuring scenes from his concerts! I believe this is the first Hawaiian multi-media CD of its type, and it makes the perfect Christmas gift for your friends who are big Keali'i fans and want to see him in action! (The closing oli (chant) is particularly stunning). Unfortunately, the enhanced CD version only runs on PCs, not Macs, but hopefully that will be changed for future releases.
Kekuhi Kanahele, Kekuhi (Mountain Apple MACD 2054). Whereas Keali'i seduces the senses with his voice and the subtlety of his phrasing, Kekuhi grabs a song by the throat and sings the dickens out of it. Her meteroric debut CD, Hahani Mai, sent chills down the spines of those who love authentic Hawaiian music. So why was she shut out of the Na Hoku Hanohano awards last year? It appears to me that some of the HARA members (who vote on the winners) are a tad overwhelmed by Kekuhi's from-the-na'au style. I asked one HARA member afterward why he thought she was shut out, and he said, dismissively, that he'd vote from her "when she learned to sing." Her style was too harsh and gutteral, he explained tolerantly to me. "Oh," I said, sweetly gritting my teeth, "Then you must have *hated* Gabby Pahinui." He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Gotcha. Well, if a plurality of HARA members are too old-fashioned and fuddy-duddy to appreciate Kekuhi's style of singing, you needn't be; this CD is a worthy successor to Hahani Mai, and continues in the same vein. Read the lyrics when you first listen to the songs; Kekuhi and her husband, Kaipo Frias, have crafted subtle lyrics that fit the multi-faceted songs. They avoid sounding the same, as some Hawaiian CDs do, with their predictable chalangalang chords; these are in different styles that lead the ear on, not deaden it with repetition. The opening number ,the rollicking Omoomo (which Kekuhi translated on KINE as "Pucker up and suck") is a collection of 'olelo no'eau (proverbs) about how even small fry can acomplish a lot; the sensual "I Await You at Wai'anapanapa" tells of of a lover's passion; and the merrily risque "Wala Ki'aha" are examples of the wide-range of the subject matter, and the powerful "Polo'ai 'o Ke'elikolani", sung with Kekuhi's family, is a very special number. You can hear a sound clip of Polo'ai 'o Ke'elikolani by clicking here.
Daniel Ho, The Voyage Home (Aire Music 81998) Daniel is a former member of the California group Kilauea, and came out with a solo jazz CD this year. He sent me a copy, and with regret I told him I couldn't preview it for him in this column, as it wasn't Hawaiian music, and so I was quite happy to hear that this talented musician has come out with a ki ho'alu (slack key CD), and I'm proud to be able to introduce it to you. The CD contains two originals, the title track and Dreams of Eternity, and an eclectic assortment of ki ho'alu classics, such as Whee Ha Swing and Kanaka Waiwai, as well as Hawaiian standards such as Hawaii Pono'i and Aloha 'Oe. This CD features well-crafted, delicately balanced slack key; I enjoyed it very much.
Ku'uipo Kumukahi, So Sweet (Ke'alohi) (Kealohi Records KCD 1001). Ipo is back, and her beautiful, sumptuous voice is more beautiful than ever. She shares the vocal spotlight with two men, Chris Kamaka and Baba Alimoot, in a series of interesting arrangements. Almost all the "songs" are themed medleys, featuring solos and harmonies by thes ethree songbird. Medleys include "Nani Kaua'i/Nohili/Water of Kaua'i/ Aloha Kauai," "Hilo My Home Town/Hilo Hula/Kaua I ka Huaka'i", and "The Beauty of Mauna Kea/Poli'ahu/Snows of Mauna Kea" (the latter is especially rich in harmonies). A lovely CD.
Kala'i Stern, He Mana'o, He Aloha (Kawai Records (KRCD 4020) Shucks. I had written a review for this CD back in November and lost it during the move, and now I no longer have access to the CD to do it justice. I will tell you that I remember liking it a lot, that Kala'i has one of those falsettos that sounds as though he's have a lot of fun with the songs, and that I wished he'd dumped "Fire and Rain" to do more classics like "Ali'i No 'Oe" and "Ka Ipo Lei Manu." Sorry, eh, Kala'i? If I get my hands on your CD again, I'll do a better preview, I promise!
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