Island Mele: ‘Mr. Chang’ makes impressive return post-Kupa’aina
Kevin Chang made a significant contribution to the Hawaiian music scene with his band, Kuap’aina. Now he’s back, 15 years later, as a solo artist. Read more
Island Mele
Island Mele: Anthology of 1904 recordings ‘welcome and significant’
A new anthology of recordings by the Honolulu Students, aka Royal Hawaiian Troubadours, are among the earliest commercially made recordings of Hawaiian music known to exist. Read more
Island Mele: Eric Lee shares faith; Kanekoa revives ‘Busting Rock’
Reviews of new music releases by Eric Lee and Kanekoa. Read more
Island Mele: Azato’s new album shares messages of love, faith in different languages
Azato is an articulate and versatile lyricist as well as a strong commercial world reggae performer. Read more
Island Mele: ‘Marketplace’ a welcome memento; ‘Humility’ displays mastery
“Marketplace,” the first album of Cyril Pahinui’s music to be released after his death, was already on the way when the multi-Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning slack key master died last month. Read more
Island Mele: Na‘auao mixes cultures with ‘Keiki,’ Storm returns
Reviews of new music released by Hawaii-based artists by Star-Advertiser music critic John Berger. Read more
Island Mele: ‘Love Doll’ scores; ‘Blues’ a convincing debut
If the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts has a Na Hoku Hanohano Award category for comedy albums in 2019, Joe Kingston’s “Love Doll” will certainly be a front-runner. Read more
Island Mele: ‘Holidays’ a delight; ‘Homeless Man’ calls for compassion
Hawaii recording artists aren’t releasing Christmas albums at the rate they did 10 or 20 years ago, so Kuana Torres Kahele’s beautifully packaged CD is a welcome seasonal treat. Also, Lee Gonsalves speaks eloquently of the plight of Hawaii’s homeless. Read more
Island Mele: ‘Best of Kalapana’ includes rarities, head-scratching selections
Forty-five years after Malani Bilyeu, Mackey Feary, D.J. Pratt and Kirk Thompson founded Kalapana, the group stands next to Cecilio & Kapono as one of the two biggest Hawaii recording acts of the 1970s. Read more
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Island Mele: DeShannon Higa’s brilliant debut, Kanile‘a artists rally for reforestation
Star-Advertiser music critic John Berger takes a closer look at new releases by DeShannon Higa and Kanile‘a Ukulele. Read more
Island Mele: Age just a number for Jordy; Yamanaka’s 3rd CD worth the wait
Reviews of musical albums recorded and produced in Hawaii by Star-Advertiser music critic John Berger. Read more
Island Mele: Keauhou completes voyage; Kaleo Phillips makes solid debut
With the release of “Ua Ko, Ua ‘Aina” earlier this month, multi-Hoku Award-winners Keauhou complete a three-year, three-album musical voyage. Also, Maui resident Kaleo Phillips makes a solid first impression with his debut album. Read more
Island Mele: ‘Two Sides to Every Story,’ ‘Constant as the Moon’
Old-time island recording artist Alan Thomas makes a welcome return to the local music scene, and Wade Cambern and Tsun-Hui Hung present standards from several locales. Read more
Island Mele: ‘The Makaha Sons’ Jerome Koko,’ ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves’
Star-Advertiser music critic John Berger reviews new releases by Jerome Koko and Storm. Read more
Island Mele: Elijah Sky makes strong solo debut
Elijah Sky, 27, a member of the celebrated musical Farden ohana, is stepping out as a solo artist in Hawaii after several years working with a reggae group in California. Read more
Island Mele: Herb Ohta Jr. shows mastery; Storm returns
There’s an unmentioned note of irony in the title of the new album “Ukulele Hula” as ukulele master Herb Ohta Jr., explores several generations of songs popular with halau hula. Read more
Island Mele: Jake Shimabukuro, Haole Kid Local Boy Blues Project
Jake Shimabukuro leads a large group of musicians and vocalists on an imaginative musical odyssey that spans several genres of contemporary music. Read more
Island Mele: ‘Songs of C&K’ a collection of updated classics
“The Songs of C&K” is a compilation recorded by a younger generation of artists, with each providing their own twist on classic Cecilio and Kapono tunes. Read more
Jason Gay’s ‘Dynasty’ presents Chinese tunes as jazz
Rather than rework compositions from the Great American Jazz Songbook, or test the market for original melodies, saxaphone player Jason Gay is introducing listeners to songs written or co-written by Chinese composers. Read more
Storm previews next album with ‘30 Minutes’
Frank De Lima wasn’t the only one who found inspiration in January’s infamous “false alarm” ballistic missile incident. Read more
Pe’a’s second CD ‘award worthy’
Kalani Pe‘a made history early in 2017 when he became the first Hawaii-resident recording artist to win a Grammy Award since Hawaiian music was absorbed by the catch-all Regional Roots Music category. Read more
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