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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, October 26, 2007

ISLAND SOUNDS
Barefoot Natives' 'Circus' a merry fete

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
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"Slack Key Circus" by Barefoot Natives; Barefoot Natives

  • Genre: Island contemporary.

  • Distinguishing notes: As Barefoot Natives, Willie K and Eric Gilliom form a double-barreled dose of fun, creativity and — in plain talk — jive.

    The concept here is almost like a traveling circus show — in the range of quaint and inventive song selections, in the "theatrical" CD packaging with four-fold panels hidden behind a "curtain," in a manic photo gallery that's tucked inside the album.

    Both Willie and Eric have composed many of the gems. From the opening "E Komo Mai," by Willie, to the hapa-haole syncopation of their combo creation, "Eia La," there's welcoming and winning exuberance in the music. "Huli Huli Chicken" is 'ono stuff, complete with rooster call, and should easily find its place as the anthem at all of those local smoke-choked fundraisers.

    While the party spirit of "Only Wanna Party," heard twice, may steal the thunder of the Barefoot Natives, the contemplative "Cool Day" and the descriptive "Ki ho'alu Man" propel the act into the mainstream; there's no denying there's power and prowess in the ranks and in the disc's 13 tracks.

  • Our take: Go Barefoot — you'll love it.

    Sample song: "E Komo Mai" by Barefoot Natives

    "Ho'omana'o: My 30 Years" by Agnes Kimura; Aloha Sounds

  • Genre: Contemporary, traditional Hawaiian.

  • Distinguishing notes: Agnes Kimura, a Japanese singerguitarist, has adopted and performed Island music for her hometown fans and Island supporters for 30 years. This retrospective retraces her journey, which started in 1977. She performs in English and in Hawaiian and has command over her lyrics.

    She also is a composer, but wisely mixes old favorites like Lena Machado's "Pohai Ke Aloha," classics such as "Kaimana Hila," hula numbers like "Papalina Lahilahi" and adoptive material like Keith Haugen's "Ka Pua" to reflect her journey over ocean and time.

  • Our take: East meets West in a Hawaiian setting, with charming results.

    Sample song: "Ho'omanao" by Ho'omanao

    "Sunset at Makaha" by Auntie Agnes Malabey Weisbarth and the Makaha Serenaders; Hula Records

  • Genre: Traditional, contemporary Hawaiian.

  • Distinguishing notes: This is vintage stuff, from the vaults of Hula Records, reissued as part of the label's Legendary Classics series. You have to be pretty senior to know Auntie Aggie and her Makaha Serenaders, who were a radio and hotel staple for years.

    The songs, and the delivery style, are clearly from a by-gone era, when vocal ensembles were true troubadours. The performers are long gone — Auntie Aggie died Oct. 3, 1977, at age 55 — so the archival melodies serve as a tribute and a primer for an era of joyous music-making.

    Check out "Makawao," "Venus," "Hanohano Olinda" and "Rain Kilikilihune." It's old-fashioned, old-style, hula-oriented music, with precise rhythms, tempos, enunciation, delivery.

  • Our take: A sentimental journey that can offer a clue or two in how to sing and share Hawaiiana.

    Sample song: "Rain Kilikilihune" by Sunset at Makaha

    Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.