|
Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
 Posted - 12/28/2005 : 07:36:20 AM
|
I had the pleaseure of hearing John Keawe play twice over the last week. Once at the King's Shops in Waikoloa and then again on Christmas Eve at the Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi. His wife, Hope, was with him and gave hula lessons to the crowd in the King's Shops mall. Then John dedicated and sang a new song that he wrote -- about his love and aloha for Hope; a very beautiful and moving love song. It will be on the new album he has been working on, recording at Lava Tracks in Waimea (Kamuela).
Then at the Bamboo Restaurant he played another new instrumental that was full, rich, and melodic -- with extensive use of simple to play but nahenahe Dominant 7th chords up the neck resolving to major chords -- one destined to become of his signature songs. John has been one of the few kika ki ho'alu masters to make use of minor chords as in Aunty's Rose Garden and Miles From Home. This new song with Dominant 7th chords outside of the melodic V7 position adds a new dimension (at least for me) to the slack key community of songs.
John and I chatted for a few minutes (a very gracious man) and he told me that he has been very busy the last few weeks and months writing all new songs for his next Album project and spending countless hours of practice getting them just right for the recording studio. He didn't have an estimated date for completion and release, but if the rest of the songs are as good as the two new ones I heard, we will all be in for a real treat! 
Malama Pono,
|
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
|
Topic Locked
