Posted on: Sunday, October 9, 2005
ISLAND SOUNDS
Nostalgic, timeless de Mello, Leed CDs
By Wayne Harada
This week's CDs is all about reflection.
An orchestra embraces a dozen tunes, creating an idyllic image of paradise.
A singer is surrounded by a roster of all-star ki ho'alu performers.
"HAWAII, LAND OF ENCHANTMENT" BY THE JACK DE MELLO ORCHESTRA; MOUNTAIN APPLE RECORDS
Genre: Hapa-haole, world music.
Distinguishing notes: Maestro Jack de Mello has brought Hawaiian music well beyond the reef in an illustrious career that has spanned five decades, at least. This re-issue, digitally remastered, is reverent and resourceful, reflective and timeless. His orchestral sweeps, a legendary trademark, bring lush and fantasy-filled images of an idyllic paradise. Think of a pristine, innocent Hawai'i, on the verge of statehood, then becoming a member of the union, when life was simpler. This style of configuring Island music in a motif of orchestral splendor was innovative in de Mello's time. In a dozen tunes, de Mello brings strings, choral voices and rhapsodic arrangements to a stunning array of classics, proving that he was on to something. Consider this evidence of his love affair with the Islands, sweetly majestic while breathtakingly nostalgic, exemplified by such titles as "Lei Aloha Lei Makamae," "Akaka Falls," "Puamana," "Kawohikukapulani," "Beautiful Kahana." The lovely hula hands depicted on the cover are those of the late Lani Custino, a member of the famed Vickie I'i Rodrigues 'ohana, and embody the enduring simplicity of de Mello's sounds. Though the tunes, in their splendid orchestral dress, are mostly for mood-evoking moments (and not active hula), Hawaiian music is all about the dance of life. And life sounded pretty good then ... and still does now.
The outlook: Those who remember the original disc should savor the memories — and replace the vinyl version with this "keeper."
Our take: De Mello still has the magic touch; "Enchantment" is that and more, a true soundtrack for Hawai'i.
"MELVEEN WITH THE BEST OF SLACK-KEY" BY MELVEEN LEED; LEHUA RECORDS
Genre: Traditional Hawaiian, with ki ho'alu.
Distinguishing notes: This 1980 release, now available to a new generation of listeners, shows how enmeshed Leed was with slack-key music, decades before the genre would be embraced by a national audience. When you attach Leed's powerhouse vocal chords onto songs by the likes of Lena Machado, Alice Namakelua, Bill Lincoln and Emma de Fries, and supported by ki ho'alu legends such as Gabby Pahinui, Sonny Chillingworth, Leland "Atta" Isaacs and Ledward Ka'apana, you're talking a gold mine of Island talent. With only Ka'apana alive and active in the recording realm, this is a museum piece with Leed as docent, on a tour that taps some remarkable stuff: "None Hula," "Pauoa Liko Ka Lehua," "Wai O Ke Ani Ani," "Ka Manu," "Paliakamoa," "Na Pua Ka 'Ilima." The tempos range from party-hearty upbeat stuff to waltzes, illuminated by Leed's endearing eloquence as a warbler.
The outlook: Another oldie worth adopting; a great intro to slack-key strummers, though the liner notes don't give the artists the tribute they deserve.
Our take: One of the best from Leed's past.
Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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