"Pua Almeida and His Sunset Serenaders Live at the Moana Hotel Banyan Court"
Pua Almeida and His Sunset Serenaders
(HanaOla)
These days, when almost everyone has a mobile device that can be used to record musical performances and then post them on YouTube, "live" recordings of almost everything are commonplace. Jump back to the ’60s and it was a different story. Record labels then rarely went to the trouble of hauling gear and technicians out to nightclubs or concert venues — producer Sonny Burke’s trek to Duke Kahanamoku’s to record Don Ho & the Aliis being a noteworthy exception. When fans or musicians made recordings on their own, there was no place to post them. As decades pass, those privately made recordings can deteriorate and eventually become unplayable. This gem is one of those rarities that survived. Recorded July 23, 1966, it is a charming audio snapshot of a vanished era in island music.
Pua Almeida, who died in 1974 at the age of 51, was the hanai son and protege of John Kameaaloha Almeida. He had a strong tenor voice and was a talented guitarist and bassist. He’s heard here leading the Sunset Serenaders — Billy Hew Len (steel guitar, vocals), Tony Kwan (bass, vocals), Ronnie Souza (drums) and Lucky Viloria (piano, vibraphone) — through a cosmopolitan set that includes beautiful renditions of Hawaiian and hapa-haole standards, jazz, bossa nova and one song each in Tagalog and Japanese.
The inherent historical interest in hearing this otherwise forgotten Saturday night in Waikiki is enhanced by the unintended ambiance. The musicians’ banter can be heard on some songs. Audience noise is heard on others — a woman calling "Pua, Pua, Pua" for no apparent reason in the middle of "Maui Girl," for example. The crowd chatter makes the listening experience more real.
Co-producers Michael Cord and Harry B. Soria Jr. put these recordings in context with detailed information on the songs, the group and the Moana Hotel. They also give credit due to the late Tony Kwan, who made the recording in 1966, and to Carol Atkinson, "Ronnie Souza’s partner in life," for making the tape available for restoration and commercial release. Hopefully it will inspire others who have privately made recordings of Hawaiian entertainers to do the same.
"Opening Medley"
www.cordinternational.com
"Eia"
Natalie Ai Kamauu
(Keko)
Natalie Ai Kamauu’s first three albums — "‘E," "‘I" and "‘A" — made her a three-time winner of the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for female vocalist of the year. That sets expectations high for her fourth. However, if "Eia" doesn’t make it a "four-peat" for Kamauu in the category, it could be because Hawaii has heard most of these songs on her previous albums. The cover art doesn’t identify "Eia" as an anthology, nor does it carry the consumer advisory, "contains previously released material," but 11 of the 14 songs can be found on her previous albums. Are these new recordings of those songs, or is this CD an anthology? There are no wrong answers, but folks who shell out the money for a CD should be able to find that information on the cover before they spend their hard-earned money.
In two of three new songs, Kamauu celebrates the musical legacy of the late Maddy Lam with a catchy arrangement of "Home Kapaka" and displays her own skills as a hapa-haole songwriter with "Hula Tease." Songs about flirtatious hula dancers have been a staple of island music for more than a century. This is a fine addition to a lengthy list.
The third new song, "Whakarongo," comes from outside Hawaii. It invites Hawaiians to "return to your original homeland" in Aotearoa (New Zealand).
Kamauu completes this collection of modern Hawaiian, Maori and hapa-haole music with a beautifully illustrated liner notes booklet that includes the Hawaiian and Maori lyrics and their English translations.
"Kuko E Ka Manawa"
www.mountainapplecompany.com
