Island Sounds
Ho'aikane re-issues CD of live performances

"HO‘AIKANE LIVE: THE LAST SET" by Ho‘aikane, Niho Mano NRCD-0101.

Ho‘aikane was one of Hawai‘i’s seminal Jawaiian acts, quick to adopt reggae rhythms and apply that genre’s contagious moods to the Island experience.

This new release, the group’s 10th, was recorded nine years ago over two sessions at Fast Eddie’s nightclub in Kailua. The club is gone - a parking lot sits on the site now - but the disc is being issued next week and it remains surprisingly fresh.

The release combines a previous album, "Ho‘aikane . . . Live" (1992), which sold more than 50,000 units in its first incarnation and continues to be enjoyed by reggae enthusiasts, with other material that has wedged its way into the group’s legacy.

Happily, technology brings back Ho‘aikane in its original glory, with Walter Tavares on vocals, ‘ukulele; Hoku Tolentino on vocals, lead guitar; Jamieson Wong on vocals, bass guitar; Nolan Hao on vocals, acoustic guitar; and Jamin Wong on vocals, rap, drums, percussion.

The fare has survived time, with "Mr. Reggae Ambassador," "Tenement Yard (Dread Locks)," "All Night Til Daylight" and "Rastaman (Steppin’ Out)" still packing emotional wallop and artistic fervor.

The "Sly Medley" (with variations of Sly and the Family Stone providing the framework) is a mixture of funk, skank, ska and every dance rage of the recent past (note the ‘ukulele touch midway, for hometown allegiance). Good vibrations.

Yellowman’s "Keep on Movin’" also is a cover with a snappy spirit. And the medley of "Say I/Twist and Shout" reflects the group’s ability to create new entities from proven favorites.

The enduring appeal of Ho‘aikane surely is attributed to the masterful ears of engineer Jim Linkner and mix meister Rick Keefer of Sea West Studios in Pahoa on the Big Island.

Audio sample of "Down the Busy Street" by Ho'aikane. in mp3 or RealAudio format. RealAudio requires a plug-in.

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