“Represent Vol. II”

Various artists

(Malama Music Co.)

The diversity to be found among Hawaii’s music makers is well represented with this download-only compilation album by producer-studio musician Ace Loughmiller. The musical genres represented range from routine Jawaiian remakes to powerful mele kue (songs of resistance) and smooth local pop. The roster of artists spans veteran hit-makers to relative unknowns.

The biggest song in the package in terms of immediate impact is the aptly titled “Here We Go Again,” by Sudden Rush. The original quartet — Don “King Don 1” Ke‘ala Kawa‘auhau Jr., Caleb “Da Reddeye” Richards, Shane “Kid Dynomite” Veincent and “Radical Rob” Onekea — introduced a new type of mele kue in the late 1990s when they started rapping in Hawaiian as well as English. In 2002 they released “Ea,” a full-length album that still stands as a milestone in mele kue and local rap. Kawa‘auhau and Veincent are the writers and primary voices on their new song, “Here We Go Again,” a topical commentary on issues that concern them today.

Hoku Award-winning Jawaiian pioneer Bruddah Waltah Aipolani returns to the spotlight with “Hawaiian People.” The song is actually Ziggy Marley’s 1988 hit, “Tomorrow People,” with mostly new lyrics about political and cultural issues in Hawaii: “Hawaiian people, where is your land?” (Aipolani and Loughmiller set an example for the local music industry by mentioning in the liner notes that they licensed the song from Marley’s music publisher.)

“Be the Change,” written and recorded by Cash Helman, is an instant standout thanks to a clean alt-pop arrangement that is unlike anything else on the album. Producer Loughmiller steps up as Helman’s studio orchestra; Loughmiller also provides all the instrumental support for Jawaiian singer-songwriters Inik (“Beautiful Morning”) and Shirnel Enos (“All You Need”). Inik and Enos should both do well on Hawaii’s island music radio stations.

Hawaiian music is represented by recording veteran Liko Arkangel’s bilingual original, “My Hawaii,” and a Hawaiian-language song, “Lei Poina‘ole,” recorded by the trio Kaleo Maoli. The beauty of their voices should transcend the language barrier for mainstream audiences not fluent in Hawaiian; the arrangement does not need the gratuitous synthetic string tracks that serve as sonic filler.

Visit amazon.com (to find the album, include the words “malama music” in your search).