Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 2, 1 February 1999 — "Music to your ears" CDs show diverse Hawaiian talent [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

"Music to your ears" CDs show diverse Hawaiian talent

By Manu Boyd T'S JUDGMENT time for premier recording artist Guy Cruz, and the jury is in. In the shadow of his popular recording artist siblings, Ernie Cruz Jr. of the former Ka'au Crater Boys and singer/songwriter John Cruz, Guy's "Judgment Time " debut showcases his song-writing and performing talents that are distinctly contemporary, weaving reggae, country, melancholy ballads and island themes into an identity all his own. Like his older brothers Ernie and John, Guy has a raspy voice full of character, expressing a range of moods and thoughts triggered by three-plus decades of hfe experiences. In a family loaded with talent, whieh also includes his musician father Ernie Sr. and a sister, former Miss Hawai'i Desiree Cruz, it makes perfect sense that the youngest of the seven keiki in the Cruz 'ohana would follow suit. John ("J.P."), who wrote and performed the mega hit "lsland Style," is the project's producer/arranger. A Kaimukī High graduate, Cruz spent a

good deal of his younger years with his father in Hilo. After four years in the military and as many years virtually incognito, he, not surprisingly, found his niehe in music. After all, he grew up in an environment where guitars

— his instrument of ehoiee — were as eommonplaee as living room fumi- A

ture. He counts more than 30 eompositions inspired by an array of people and places. i Of the ten cuts I

feamred, eight are his own. "Judgment Time," the i project's title cut, is reggae inflnenced!

"Slave to Your ī /n;/»" hae n

country flair; "Play On" was inspired by his ■ dad, Emie Cmz Sr.; and ™

"Sugar and Spice" with energetic background vocals by Rocky Brown and Cindy Macfarlane, is another stand-out. A number of veterans provide support to the project, including BB Shawn, Fiji, Greg Sardinha, Robi Kahakalau, Dave Tucciarone, Kawaikapuokalani ] Hewett, John Feary and Cruz siblings John, Tony, I Emelle and Desiree. I

"Judgment Time" is here, and the verdict is a big "high five" for Guy "Guyzo" Cruz whose 'ohana is now 3-0 in the island contemporary recording scene. Hanahou! I/AWAI COCKETT, the Pūko'o, Moloka'i- I K bom Hawaiian is, without a doubt, a main- ™

l\stay in the halls of Hawaiian entertainment. Fv, decades, he has performed in the islands and around the world, and he has recorded dozens of tunes by Hawai'i's best composers. In 1994, he was bestowed the coveted Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards' "male vocalist of the year" for his recording " 'O Ka 'ōhao Ku 'u 'Āina Nani." Like the first taste of poi after a kalo shortage, Kawai's rich barritone voice and trademark 'ukulele I strum will fill your ears, mind, heart and na'au with I purely Hawaiian satisfaction. From his debut record- [ ing "Beautiful Kaua'i" in 1969, Kawai continues to I affirm his allegiance to traditional "cha-lang-a-lang" 1 Hawaiian music where 'ukulele, guitar, upright bass and sweet Hawaiian vocals are the fare. To the hula-minded, Kawai's music is as dance-

able as it gets. Hundreds, if not thousands of k performers, whether at Merrie Monarch or a

crowded Aloha Festivals ho'olaule'a, , smoothly kaholo, 'ami and 'uehe to his island strains. Discovered in his teens

by music legend Johnny Almeida, Cockett has been influenced by other such legends as Hoakalei Kamau'u, Pauline i Kekahuna, George Holokai, Henry Pā, I Maiki Aiu Lake and Sally Wood, sohdI ifying his ties to hula. Featured on "A Traditional Hawaiian" are compositions by some of I Hawai'i's best. Renown composers of the past such as Charles E. King, Lena Machado, Mary Kawena Pūku'i and Maddy Lam are joined by

Frank Hewett, i Moe Keale " and Kīhei de

Silva in timeless poetic expression. Cockett's own composition, "Home ; Ho 'okipa o Kaimū," is a tribute to his wife Kamala's family home in Kalapana. Enjoy the offerings in "A Traditional Hawaiian " and relish the reality that i beautiful, old-style Hawaiian music will serenade us into the millennium. m

ALANDMARK RECORDING that helped trigger the Hawaiian musical renaissance of the early 70s, "The Folk Music ofHawai'i" by the Sons of Hawai'i, is now on compact disc. A product of Pānini Records ine., the CD release is making a fast and furious comeback on the airwaves. Originally released in 1971, the recording features a combination of talents among group members and supporters that remains awesome a quarter of a century later. The quintet's stellar make-up is remarkable. Gabby Pahinui, Joe Marshall, Eddie Kamae, Moe Keale and David Marshall together made music that, to this day, conjures up the very best of our heritage. "No ke Ano Ahiahi," " Ku'u Pete," "Mauna 'Alani," "Ka Lae o Ka'ena," "I Love Christmas," "Huelo" and "Po'e Koa" are classics that are inspiring a whole new generation. Liner notes by the late Sammy Amalu, song texts, biographies, photography and the unforgettable cover art by Herb Kāne are a fabulous bonus in the CD packaging. ■

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