This Is Book’s Music

One look at the cover and I loved it. The guys in Jahmaka are sitting on stairs, on the side of a food bus (!!!) called Kiawe Q. Hui, I was hungry already. But that’s when my appetite lessened a bit.

Jahmaka are a Jawaiian band who want to share their love of reggae, and a few of these songs are decent, but I’d love to hear more than just the default sounds of a keyboard. They got the chops, the harmonies, but I wish for some of these bands to dig deeper and get gritty with how they play. Give it a true Jamaican dig, punch it with a hint of a New Orleans flavor. Yes, I do realize that this is all about keeping it “island style” but when you’re already making reggae your own music, why not perfect it into something that may be enjoyed outside of your core audience?

Now, if I don’t allow myself to get too deep, these songs are decent for parties and baby showers. In “Let’s Dance”, vocalist Stephen Lau tries to enhance his lady friend with talk that’s very tame, he wants to play the gentleman role and he simply ends up asking her to dance. Nothing more, nothing less.

One song that could crossover into the pop or R&B charts if given a new treatment is “Sweet Love”. Not to be confused with the Rufus song of the same name, this could work at a number of jamband and rock festivals if it had a real horn section instead of Lance Motogawa playing it with his keyboards. Also, a helpful tip: please lay off the auto-tune. It’s used sparingly, so no need to breathe for air as you’re overwhelmed by vocal manipulation, but there’s no need for that here, or anywhere.

While the recording is nice, it sounds a bit flat to my ears, or at least every instrument and vocal sounds the same without much added to make each song sound different from the other. It was mixed and mastered by Wendell Ching, who did decently on the album by The Green, so it’s hard to say if he is at fault or if it’s due to the production of Lau and Bill Mousser. Some of the songs also suffer from sounding too routine and mundane. Maybe if you’re dancing at the park or at a concert venue it doesn’t matter, but even non-conscious reggae music had a bit of substance. The songs on this CD do not have enough.

The name Jahmaka sounds great, but I want to hear songs that equal the power of their name. With a title like Appetite For Love, it is known that we Hawaiians are a passionate people. The album sounds like the act of spooning, but I like to entice, tickle, and tease. I hope these guys play around with the emotion of their music a bit more, because they could be something if they push that part of their muse to the forefront.

It’s hard to say if Jawaiian music has run its course or people back home are just bored. Regardless of how good or bad these albums are, a good amount of Jawaiian music still reminds me of home, but with with every other release, it seems that bands are somewhat stuck in their holes.

Case in point: The Green. They play roots reggae so that’s always a good thing, but this would have been perfect in 1980. I love old school reggae, and most Jawaiian music gets inspiration from Bob Marley and little else. Even when they try to geev’em, the songs on this CD (SheeHandsomeDevil) about love and relationships still sound like intermediate school scribbles, which sadly has been something Hawaiian artists have struggled with when trying to create pop music. It’s as if all I’m hearing is one variation of another of the Donny & Marie method. A song like “Dearest Sylvia” is about one man’s love for his lady, and I would have liked it if it went deeper than the surface. I’m not speaking of being explicit, not at all, but it’s as if they’re running around in circles and aren’t sure what to write. How to compensate? Speak in a Jamaican patois? Stop already.

What was good about this album is the musicianship from the band (Ikaika Antone on keyboards and guitars, Zion Thompson on guitar and percussion, JF Kennedy on guitar and bass), and vocalist Caleb Keolanui does a decent job at what he does. Bring in Kimie Miner, who sings lead on “How Does It Feel”, and it adds a great element to their developing sound.

To sum it up: decent singing, nice instrumentation, all-too-ordinary songs. To their credit, not a lot of people write this way anymore so even if it feels like innocent “puppy love” songs, it’s something that is not raw or nasty. But one doesn’t have to get raw or nasty to write decent songs today. Perhaps they can develop better songwriting ideas and concepts for their next album, or bring in a songwriter who can write or help them with new material. What is a plus is the production from Wendall Ching, and the artwork by Kamea Hadar is sure to get him a lot of work, I look forward to seeing what else he does. As for The Green, this CD sounds a very polished demo, and I hope they’ll be able to make a few adjustments in the lyrical department.

With the amount of music I receive on a regular basis to review, sometimes the albums I’ve been meaning to write about gets pushed back. After hearing the failure that is Ultimate Collection: Songs Of Love, I had to get back to some true blue Hawaiian music treated with respect, da kine that goin’ give me instant chicken skin and make me rock and forth while i CRAI.

Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2: Live From Maui (Daniel Ho Creations) is a live album recorded very well featuring some of the best ki ho’alu (slack key) musicians in Hawaiian music, both old and new. I’ve always been a fan of Dennis Kamakahi guitar work, and his rendition of “No Ke Ano Ahiahi” is similar to the arrangement made famous by The Sons Of Hawai’i on their 1971 Panini album. While the Gabby Pahinui touch isn’t here, I still sense the pride in a song about one who awaits the coming of the night, and what the evening can provide. Richard Ho’opi’i, one half of The Ho’opi’i Brothers, takes things back to the old cha-lang-a-lang style with “Kupa Landing”, while Keoki Kahumoki performs “Kealia” in a way that shows that it can still be relevant to modern times. Despite all of the men that dominate on the album, a wahine is more than capable of playing ki ho’alu and Owana Salazar represents with a fantastic performance of “Makee ‘Ailana”, and takes it home as the song moves along.

Since its release a few months ago, Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2: Live From Maui has been nominated for a Grammy next year, so it will hopefully continue to move people to hear a style of Hawaiian music and guitar playing that was almost left for dead. For me, it reminds me of an old Hawai’i, or at least the Hawai’i I remember growing up in 30 years ago when tuning to KCCN 1420am meant hearing music like this *all the time*. Daniel Ho has done an incredible job preserving these songs and making these live performance available for everyone. I hope he continues to do this with live recordings from other locales, to show how people react to these songs in different settings. As it stands, this is a Hawaiian compilation worth including in your collection and giving to honors.

Singer/actress Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho have united once again in a formula that has won them a Grammy, and the good thing about it is that they’re really good at what they do together. Their new collaborationis called He Nani (Daniel Ho Creations), and as with their earlier albums, Ho handles all of the instrumentation. The songs here range from observing and respecting the land (the title track), which is explored even further in “Ho’opo’omaika’i”, a song which simply says to be thankful through the spirit of aloha. Some of the lyrics are playful and may be considered double entendre, but that’s for you to figure out.

One of the album’s finest moments is what is called The Pumehana Trilogy, which brings together “‘Aina Pumehana”, “Home Pumehana”, and “Me Ke Aloha Pumehana”, a triad of songs that were written by Amy Ku’uleialoha Stillman and Ho as a wedding gift for Ho and his wife, who married last year. What I also like is how Carrere and Ho can be very playful, showing some of Carrere’s old school sensibilities and love of her hanabata days, as she does in “The Dessert Song”. Here, she talks about the delicious German chocolate and French butter cream cakes, pastries with haupia, and occasionally messing up the mouth despite its delights. All someone needs to do now is a song about the greatness of Liliha Bakery, and it will be a sweet tooth battle.

Carrere & Ho are a great duo,and hopefully in the future they’ll be able to bring together not only additional Hawaiian musicians and singers to get involved, but also artists from the rock, pop, and country world, just to see how much more developed the sound could be. However, some may feel that it doesn’t need that, keep things simply without going overboard. It’s good time Hawaiian music with a traditional feel, and a sensibility that comes from those who not only long for the good ol’ days, but those who wish to share it to those in today’s modern world.

Makalei are a new Hawaiian duo to my ears, but it was a pleasant surprise to receive this CD and see something with a very old school feel. The album cover looks like something from a Sons Of Hawai’i album circa 1971, right down to the lettering. But for a serious old school feel, you must listen to the music.

What I like about Pehea Ka Lawai’a (Makalei Music) is that the songs come from times long gone, from the musicianship to the styles to the vocal harmonies. This isn’t Kam School Glee Club-style singing, but you’ll hear something in each of these songs that will make you say “wow, I remember when Hawaiian music used to sound just like that.” Is this a throwback album, maybe the Hawaiian equivalent of Amy Winehouse’s approach to soul and ska, in a small way maybe. But as with Winehouse, what Stew Kawakami and Mike Judd are doing is simply revisiting those old Hawaiian music vibes and looking to see what was good and perhaps what we’ve lost in the race towards what we feel is modern. It’s a vibrant music, and the thirteen songs on this are proof.

Makalei are accompanied by a number of musicians, and the album begins with the slightly sly title track, where they speak about going to the ocean to catch some fish, maybe a squid or two. They replicate the squid by playing guitar as if the squid jumped on the instrument and started going crazy. Then you have to wonder: are they really talking about aquatic squid? If you’ve ever gone fishing in Hawai’i early in the morning in total darkness, making sure to get to that special spot before the sun comes up, you can sense the approach to this song and the metaphors it may or may not have.

In “The Graduation Song” they speak to those who must leave Hawai’i for school, the anticipation of new experiences and the anxiety of leaving home:
I feel my heart beating cause I can’t believe I’m leaving
All of the word I know but its time to go so I’m on my way
Time is so deceiving, my plane departs this evening
It all feels like a dream, time is not what it seems
When it’s yesterday

The Charles E. King composition “Lei Aloha Lei Makamae” sounds like a mixture of Country Comfort mixed in with a bit of The Brothers Cazimero, especially the vocal harmonies that are really sharp, sounding like a generational mix that you rarely hear in today’s Hawaiian music since no one is really doing it like this. If you want to get chicken skin and start tearing up, then “Ka Lei Punahou” will be the song to provide it, as they come up with the sweet falsetto, the dual acoustic guitars, and the ipu that makes it feel as if you’re listening to the good ol’ days of Krash Kealoha, Honolulu Skylark and KCCN all day every day. “Lifetime’s Too Short” is an original song by Judd that has that Peter Moon Band/Sandwich Isle Band feel from the late 70’s/early 80’s with that style of guitar playing made famous in America’s “Ventura Highway”, when Hawaiian artists were exchanging ideas with the California sound. With drums, this song could be reinterpreted into a Jawaiian jam, but I like this rendition as is. The song has Judd singing about looking for love, and how if you feel something, don’t let life pass you by.

The loungy-sounds of “Oceans Away” goes back to the late 50’s/early 60’s when people like The Invitations and Arthur Lyman were adding a jazz touch to the sound of the islands. The highlight of the song is when the vocal harmonies are going on during the line “A jillion stars in a rainbow” and it goes up a notch, catching you by surprise and perhaps making you smile. The exotica continues with their take of Sammy Cahn & James Van Heusen’s “Come Fly With Me”, and one may be able to revisit the glory days of Waikiki when it was the swinging part of Honolulu.

By ending the album with Jack DeMello’s “The Wonderful World Of Aloha“, you then realize you’ve just taken an incredible tour of Hawaiian music of the last 50 years, the time it has been a part of the union. It is indeed a retrospective, but in the hands of Makalei it shows how powerful and timeless these songs are. They’re not old, it isn’t dated, although by hearing the strings or a style of percussion you may remember a time in your life when these styles made you proud to be Hawaiian or made you want to visit the islands for the first time. These guys show an incredible amount of respect for Hawai’i and its music, and whether you’re still on the rock or trying hard to make it back on/to the rock, you’ll understand why.

Dave Tucciarone also deserves recognition for not only being a co-producer, but as the engineer who captured these sounds, and also being involved in the mixing and mastering phases, and on top of that being one of the contributing musicians on the album as a guitarist. What I like about Tucciarone’s approach is that it doesn’t sound forced or brickwalled, it’s a warm sounding album. Tucciarone has worked with everyone from Amy Hanaiali’i Gilliom to Sean Na’auao, Sistah Robi Kahakalau to Weldon Kekauoha, and now you can add Makalei not only as a group with the Tucciarone touch, but as an addition to a group of artists who add to the fabric of music, language, and culture of the islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Hana hou.

It has been a few years since we last heard from Darlene Ahuna, to where I wondered if she decided to retire and never make music professionally again. A few weeks ago I discovered that Ahuna has returned. The liner notes seemed to hint at a few things in life that pulled her away from recording, maybe a mixture of good and bad, but she doesn’t get in detail. Nonetheless, one can listen to the songs and her vocals on Aloha Pumehana (Daniel Ho Creations) and tell… *something*. But again, no need be all maha’oe, but what we can pay attention to is the fact there’s a full length Ahuna album with 10 songs, definitely kicking it old school with that.

On this she does a number of Hawaiian classics and standards, including “Hi’ilawe”, “Pua O Ka Makahala”, “Nani Kaua’i”, and the instant homesick feeling (for me, anyway) of “Pauoa Liko Ka Lehua”, where her vocals and playing of the 12-string guitar will make fans realize that this was worth the weight. She is backed only by co-producer Daniel Ho, who through the help of multi-tracking plays the ‘ukulele, bass, and piano. Even with a full sound like this, it still sounds like a very intimate two person performance, even when the songs are full. Often times when one person is in charge of all of the music, what’s missing is the “other person” element, and that was one of the best things about Ahuna’s previous albums. It’s the fact that there was healthy interaction among three or more people, just like a good kanikapila. The musicianship is fantastic, as is most oh Ho’s productions (he also mixed and mastered this), but to my ears it still sounds like two people in the room.

Again, the end result of this is that it sounds very intimate, and Aloha Pumehana at times sounds like something she would only play among family or very close friends, as if this was a personal diary. There’s an old feel, and those of you who have read my reviews of Hawaiian music or those who know me will know how much I love the artistry of Hawaiian recordings from the 60’s, 70’s, and early 80’s. When Ahuna reaches the high notes in “Nani Kaua’i”, and Ho reaches in for the bass to hit the low notes after a few bars, it goes back to the days of backyard luaus, baby showers, and neverending Sunday’s, a time when no other radio station mattered but KCCN. If the weekend meant knowing your grandfather would come over to bring over huli huli chicken, enough to where it would be lunch and dinner that day, right on. Ho’s piano work gives Ahuna’s songs a slightly jazzy and cabaret feel, not unlike some of Robert Cazimero’s more elaborate work, check out “Waiehu” for the proof. If anything, Aloha Pumehana is a testament to the talent of Ahuna, and it is fantastic to hear her at home once again.

Island style reggae lef a bingbung o salang!

RJ Kaneao is a reggae artist who talks about “the roots of my soul” through a very passionate album called Toru (Motu), and he shows he could become the next Ziggy Marley if he puts his 10,000 hours into it.

With tracks like “Warrior”, “Answer My Plea”, “Why Do You”, and Back In My Arms” he celebrates Hawaiian pride along with love and romance. In other words, he is not afraid to share his strength as a man and as a lover, so the ladies will dig this immediately. As a vocalist/guitarist you get to hear him go at it in songs that are well played, written, and arranged. The album is split between fantastic roots reggae and heavily formulaic Jawaiian songs, but he has to pay the bills, right? In the songs that are Jawaiian, he provides the same island stylee that Sean Na’auao has done over the years, and it feels good. Yeah, perhaps puppy love died 30 years ago but not in Hawai’i, where manners are still an issue and even though it may be asking for something more enticing, it’s still nice to hear.

He definitely has the makings to become a star outside of Hawai’i and the Pacific Rim, although more at rock/jam band festivals than in the traditional reggae market. Then again, someone prove me wrong. While he doesn’t show it too much here, he could easily do pop and soul, and perhaps he’ll experiment with that in the future. As is, if this guy isn’t getting airplay throughout the islands, SHAME ON YOU!!!

When David Kamakahi recorded Shine, he obviously had no idea that one of the artists he covered would end up passing away. The artist is Michael Jackson, and before MJ died, I had viewed Kamakahi’s cover of “Man In The Mirror” as being simply a respectful cover version done in a pop fashion, Hawaiian style. I still say that, but now one is able to listen to the song from a different perspective.

Shine is an album that shows Kamahaki’s talent and lineage, for he is of course the son of legendary musician Dennis Kamakahi. Shine is an album that shows how well this man plays and how comfortable he is on his instrument of choice, the ‘ukulele, but also takes on the instrument his father is known for, the 6-string acoustic guitar. These days, the one ‘ukulele player that gets the most attention is Jake Shimabukuro, which has allowed him to take Hawai’i around the world while at the same time making a decent amount of money along the way. Kamakahi wants that same level of success too, so it’s no surprise that his album balances Hawaiian music and a few carefully selected pop songs. On the pop side, he covers Sting’s “Fields Of Gold”, John Cafferty’s “Boardwalk Angel”, and James Taylor’s “Your Smiling Face”. The latter is an all-too-familiar song that still sounds welcoming, and anyone who can’t stand the earworm Taylor has made will find it a bit refreshing to hear through Kamahaki.

On the Hawaiian side, you’ll hear updated takes of Kalapana’s “Nightbird”, Country Comfort’s “Waimanalo Blues”, and a John Almeida standard, “‘A’oia”. I love the fluidity of his playing, this is not someone who plays just because the world discovered Israel Kamakawiwo’ole doing it, this is someone who has music in his blood and you hear it. His playing here is not as complex as Shimabukuro but not as laid back as Herb Ohta Jr., although one can easily hear him trying out some easy listening/MOR-styled sounds and being a success at it. The Hawaiian songs will definitely work at home, while the pop songs will make it possible for people to hear him on smooth jazz, NPR, and other adult contemporary stations that cater to these smooth sounds. It would be nice to be here on the mainland and hear “Nightbird” in a supermarket, but I’ll take this CD so I can “tell her (to) wait for me”.

It’s not just David who is on this disc, but father Dennis too, along with one of my favorite drummers right now, Abe Lagrimas Jr.. If you love Hawaiian music with a contemporary pop touch without the Jawaiian-isms, Shine is perfect for your listening adventures. I would love to hear Kamakahi get more adventurous in his playing,but perhaps that’s a signal for me to spruce up my playing so I can record my own album. Another day, another time, right?

Hawaiian musician/singer/songwriter Raiatea Helm has taken the hearts of many fans of Hawaiian music, and now she has decided to discover her own roots by going to Tahiti to perform and discover ohana.

It will be part of an online adventure to be shot by director Edgy Lee, with two concerts planned. According to an article by Zenaida Serrano in today’s Honolulu Advertiser, Helm will also be looking for her ties to the island of Tahiti, where she has some roots. Elements of her trip to Tahiti will be documented by Helm in blog form, and with Lee involved in the project, most likely a DVD will be made in the future.

You can read the full article here. Here’s a brief look at what it will look like:

You can follow her path through video by heading to PacificNetwork.tv, a website that is called The Native Hawaiian Portal To The World.