Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 5, 1 May 2000 — ISLAND MUSIC SCENE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ISLAND MUSIC SCENE

Maunalua dcbuts sclf-titlcd CD of Hawaiian tuncs

By Manu Boyd I OOKING FOR a great end-of-the-weekend enterI tainment tip? Roy's in Hawai'i Kai at sundown on I Sundays is where you'll find Bobby Moderow, Bruce Spencer and Kahi Ka'ōnohi. Collectively k Maunalua, the trio is an up-and-coming recording force who has logged many a mile gigging here and there, including a stint at Jaron's in Kailua. Their group and debut CD, named for the land area known better today as "Hawai'i Kai," is hot, gaining visibility with hard-to-get and harder-to-keep airplay in Honolulu. The sound is youthful, energy-packed and unmistakably Hawaiian. No doubt you'll identify prominent influences in their repertoire, particularly the Hui 'Ohana both in selections and style. " Kahealani ," " U'ilani " and "Baby Kalae" all diffīcult falsetto arrangements, are re-pack-

aged with ease by Maunalua. Their familiar sound complimentary rather than generic, loeal pop where one ensemble sounds pretty mueh like j the next. Maunalua's integrity is in i its roots whieh help to enhanee its I overall quality. m Moderowisakīhō'alu whizin the "Maunaloa/Ka Lei ē" medley, reflecting the prowess of his /a. teachers before him. In turn, he ^ shares his inherited guitar tradi- i tion with students of his own. * Spencer, son of long-time entertainer

eiaine ako bpencer, adds a country feel to combo with easy vocals and lilting 'ukulele. Bassist Kahi Ka'ōnohi rounds off the trio sohd vocals and instrumentation. A stand-out is the perennial "Ahi Wela ," the song

about heated passion, performed gently, Z^3}showcasing all that the trio is /known for: vocal harmony and B^Bfseamless unison; energy; and lik/ableness that is key to staying afloat ■m the highly competitive Hawaiian ^■music market. " Ku 'u Lehua " and "Mahalo e nā •mHoa" are delightful additions to the , |ever-growing body of Hawaiian lanJ guage music. I "Maunalua" was produced by Dave fTucciarone and Maunalua for Koa 'Records, and is distributed bv 01inda

^Bgg>Road Distribution. For additional information, eheek out www.maunaloa.com ■