‘Yesterday’
an actual blast
from the pastA Touch of Yesterday: Na Hokupa (Kahale Records)
LINER notes for "A Touch of Yesterday" don't mention that this "new" album was released on cassette in 1990 when record producer John Kahale Chang was moving into the vacuum created by the implosion of Ken Kahanu Post's Kahanu Records empire.
Chang reinforced the quartet of Andy Llanos , Paul Martinez and Max and Mitchell Sanchez with Augie Colon (percussion), Kit Ebersbach (keyboards) and Alwyn Erub (electric drums). It was one of his best projects for Kahale Records. The arrangements emphasize basic four-part harmony and have aged surprisingly well.
Most of the selections are hapa-haole classics. Several Hawaiian language songs display the group's diversity. A smooth and jazzy take on "Le'ahi" is especially notable. (The cover art is the same as the 1990 cassette but the group now renders its name as "Na Hoku Pa.")
Sessions II: Various artists (ISR)
LOCAL surfers must be fanatic reggae fans. Most of this 13-song anthology consists of local reggae-beat originals.
John Cruz's "Throw Me in the Water" is a clever satirical portrait of an extreme local surfer. Dread Ashanti's "The Beauty of the Sea" is the purest reggae tune. Kelly Boy DeLima, Baba B, Sean Na'auao, Black Point, and the Tropic Nation Band also make notable contributions.
The commercial touch of co-producer Riki Sugimoto is heard in a soft local pop song, "Brown Eyed Boy," that features an unknown singer named Angel.
Only two songs on the disc lapse into Jawaiian plagiarism.
Two high-intensity California punk rock bands -- Sublime and The Ziggens -- add further cultural diversity. Both are good, but it seems odd that no Hawaii based post-alternative band was deemed worthy of this project.
A 22-page booklet of color photos, lyrics, credits and sponsor advertising doesn't provide information on the recording artists. Sugimoto and co-producer Ichiro Nagai include essays calling on surfers to participate in political and environmental issues.
An anonymous author notes: "Our stupid corrupt government allows polluting and destroying of our ocean by big moneyed business and land developers. We have to constantly monitor and fight against our own government to keep our ocean clean."
That's My Story: Yuki "Alani" Yamaguchi (Respect)
YUKI Yamaguchi is Japan's most prominent exponent of Hawaiian slack-key. His third album is a pleasant potpourri of originals, island standards, and medleys honoring figures in local music. Japanese labels are known for extensive annotation; Yamaguchi's bilingual booklet even explains why he chose a particular recording studio.
John Berger, who has covered the local entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Home Zone section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
See Record Reviews for some of John Berger's past reviews.
