“NA KEIKI O HAWAI‘I”
Sean Na‘auao (Mailona)
Sean Na‘auao’s credits as a recording artist go back to 1990, when he was a founding member of the original Mana‘o Company. One of the first members of the group to depart, Na‘auao wrote and recorded one of the biggest Jawaiian hits of the decade, “Fish & Poi,” as a solo artist in 1997.
In the decade that followed Na‘auao made significant contributions to Jawaiian and mainstream Hawaiian music alike. In 2001 he released two albums, “Progression” and “Holomua,” one for each genre. “Progression” won him a Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Reggae Album of the Year in 2oo2, and he earned a composer’s award for songwriter Kawaikapuokalani Hewett with his recording of a song Hewett had given him for “Holomua.” The partnership continues here — Hewett contributed four songs to this album.
Na‘auao wrote four songs as well. One of them is the title song, and it is a strong opener. Na‘auao calls on Hawaiians to “educate Hawaiian values” so that the Hawaiian children of today will become the mentors of the future. He delivers the message with English lyrics, catchy Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and Hawaiian chant performed by Kamakaiwa Kanaka‘ole.
Several songs later Na‘auao adds Japanese lyrics to his pop-friendly Hawaiian/Jamaican recipe with “Mahalogozaimasu,” a reggae-style description of his experiences presenting Hawaiian culture in Japan.
Na‘auao shows his Hawaiian side with his smooth renditions of Hewitt’s compositions. He also taps into his Hawaiian side with “Mali’s Song,” a sweet and languid original with ‘olelo Hawai‘i by Louis “Moon” Kauakahi, expressing love for a cherished child.
Na‘auau is joined by Lehua Kalima on a beautiful arrangement of “Behold Laie,” one of the great hapa haole songs by Territorial Era song writer Jack Pitman. Also notable is his new arrangement of “Just Beyond The Ridge,” a Na‘auao family song he recorded with Mana‘o Company 28 years ago.
Visit islandheritagemusic.com.
“JEKYLL & HYDE”
Storm (Tin Idol Productions)
Hoku Award-winning metal rock masters Storm return with a metal rock opera version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic horror story, “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.” The quartet — Sandy “Storm” Essman, Gerard K. Gonsalves (drums), Darren Solvien (bass) and Brian Spalding (guitars) — tell their verison of the story with 12 original songs written and arranged in the same dark and aggressive style as their 2016 rock opera, “Medusa.”
The most significance change is that since Essman is the voice of this this first-person narrative, Dr. Jekyll and the murderous Hyde are female as well.
“Medusa” was presented as a “dark night” staged performance at Kumu Kahua. “Jekyll & Hyde” would fit well there, too.
Visit reverbnation.com/storm808.
