Soft-spoken and unobtrusive Nathan Aweau has an impressive resume that includes 16 years as a member of Don Ho’s backing band at the Waikiki Beachcomber and extensive credits as a solo recording artist and as a member of HAPA.
In 2006 Aweau made history by winning three Na Hoku Hanohano Awards as a member of HAPA and two more as a solo artist — one for a jazz album, the second for a Hawaiian project. A year later he won again as a solo artist.
Aweau’s latest recording, “Mau Loa,” displays Aweau’s immense capabilities as a singer, songwriter, musician and producer in impressive style. It was released in May.
“MAU LOA”
Nathan Aweau (BP Music Arts)
This is essentially a one-man project. Aweau sings all the vocal parts, plays all the instruments and does all the mixing and mastering. He is also the producer, and the writer of all but one of the songs. There are no filler tracks here, but several are instantly noteworthy.
“It’s Who You Are” and “One More Road” commemorate the recent death of his father, Lemuel N.K. Aweau, in poignant and memorable style.
The title song, “Mau Loa (For All Time),” is more enigmatic regarding who Aweau is addressing but it is a beautiful testament of a love he promises will last for all time.
“Kipona Aloha” is an exquisite showcase of Aweau’s falsetto range.
“E Nana,” which was released at a single late last year, is already an island favorite. (“E Nana” was one of the finalists for a Hoku in the new Best Hawaiian Single category last month.)
With “Nou (For You)” Aweau shows how well Hawaiian lyrics can fit in a vintage, “urban” music arrangement. It’s easy to imagine “Nou (For You)” being sung by Boyz II Men — although probably not in Hawaiian.
That one song that Aweau didn’t write is “The Ewa Song,” a whimsical hapa composition by multi-instrumentalist Byron Yasui.
Yasui takes a concept popularized by comedian Bill Dana more than 50 years ago with “I’m Going To Maui Tomorrow” and writes a song that uses the similar sounds of the words “Ewa,” “ever” and “never” (when “ever” and “never” are pronounced with a pidgin accent).
The lyrics describe the benefits of living where the rain “never never ever reaches ‘Ewa. Hardly ever,” and conclude with the announcement that if the singer had to live elsewhere they would “yearn for ‘Ewa ever ever ever more.”
Four pages of song lyrics and English translations complete Aweau’s latest career milestone.
Visit nathanaweau.com.
Reviews of releases by Hawaii’s musical artists run each week in TGIF; artists who wish to have their recordings featured may send digital links to jberger@staradvertiser.com. Send CDs to Island Mele c/o John Berger, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813.
