"Lana‘i"
Larry Endrina
(LD Productions Inc.)
Lanai resident Larry Endrina shares his love of his family and home island with this collection of 14 Hawaiian and hapa-haole songs.
Many are standards. Others are contemporary island hits — "Brown Man Blues" and "Proud to Be," for example. There is also a pair of earnest originals, "Lana‘i" and "Haleakala Sunrise," that Endrina wrote with his "birth-nursery roommate" and fellow musician Matt Mano. Their lyrics express Endrina’s love for the island and its relaxed lifestyle in convincing fashion.
Endrina sings with a strong, clear voice. His solo rendition of "Ka Makani Ka‘ili Aloha" shows this could have been a strong solo project, but his decision to bring in several other singers and musicians adds to the sense of family. "Ka Wailele ‘o ‘Akaka" showcases his three sisters; their harmonies set it apart from every other song in the collection. His niece, Tisha Feig Lincoln, shares the vocal spotlight with him on "Kuhio Beach." He sings the song, then she sings the song. The contrasting voices make that one memorable as well.
A nephew, Duane Feig, is his partner on a zesty arrangement of "E Ola Mau i ka ‘Olelo Hawai‘i." Two guitars, two voices singing in harmony, and Endrina doubling on bass. That’s all it takes. They play it well.
Give Endrina extra credit for the breadth of his repertoire, which stretches from "Pua Hone," one of Dennis Kamakahi’s most romantic compositions, to "Hawaiian Soul," Jon Osorio and Randy Borden’s politically charged requiem for Hawaiian activist George Helm, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1977.
Endrina mentions in his liner notes that there don’t seem to be many songs about Lanai. With "Mele ‘o Lana‘i" and "Lei Ko‘ele," he includes two of the best.
Song lyrics and English translations are all that this beautiful album lacks.
For more information go to www.ldproductions.com.
"Lana’i"
