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JeffC
Lokahi
USA
189 Posts |
 Posted - 07/31/2007 : 2:40:55 PM
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I got back from Moloka`i about 3 weeks ago, or so, and have just now dug myself out enough to do more than lurk.
AMC, as others have already described, was another great experience. But I'm too late to add much...
What has been burning at me to post about is the music I brought back by Lono. Tommy Cheng already put in a plug for him several months ago (forgive me for my redundancy). Lono plays at the Hotel Moloka`i every Saturday, but despite having stayed on the island 4 times now I hadn't until this last time gotten a chance to see him. He is a pretty low-key kind of performer (doesn't tend to get in the way of your drinks and dinner at the bar), but he plays and sings some of the best Hawaiian music out there. He calls it Hawaiian folk music and he has three albums he calls "Old Style" (he has some other music out that I have not heard, which pre-dates these).
I highly recommend these Old Style albums to any Hawaiian music fans out there. His discs have been on a constant rotation in my CD player since I got back. You can check out samples at lonomusic.com
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Jeff
Making Trout Country safe for Slack Key! |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2007 : 4:35:28 PM
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| Lono is top notch...both singing and slack key. His voice is quite unique. He appears to be a fresh new face. I am not certain how old he is or how long he has been playing music. He seems pretty low key for one with such talent. Lucky you go Moloka`i, lucky you see Lono. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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keoladonaghy
Lokahi
257 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2007 : 4:40:57 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by wcerto
Lono is top notch...both singing and slack key. His voice is quite unique. He appears to be a fresh new face. I am not certain how old he is or how long he has been playing music. He seems pretty low key for one with such talent. Lucky you go Moloka`i, lucky you see Lono.
I knew him in the mid to late 1980s when he was gigging on Maui, so he's been around at least 20 years, probably a bit longer. Back then he was doing more rock and contemporary kinds of music and not as much traditional Hawaiian, though he did some. At least on the gigs I saw him play. |
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neeej
`Olu`olu
USA
643 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2007 : 6:50:13 PM
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| I got 2 of his CDs this trip, really like'm :-) |
--Jean S |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2007 : 06:45:53 AM
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| His mother introduced herself to me at the Kalama Days event last year; she had a CD with five songs from the album he was working on at the time (Old Style III), and we played it over the sound system between acts - people LOVED it. I reviewed the album here: http://www.northwesthawaiitimes.com/greggfeb07.htm |
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JeffC
Lokahi
USA
189 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2007 : 12:35:54 PM
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I just read Retro's review of Lono's music. He does a much better job than I. Check out the link he posted. Thanks Gregg. I figure there are at least a few folks in this audience who like Hawaiian music . If they haven't given this guy a listen, they're missing some really quality stuff.
Lono was also nice enough to play a request for `Ulupalakua the night we were there. Chris, Tommy, and I got bamboozled into dancing the kane hula we had worked on at camp. With apologies to Liko, it was not our best effort, but everybody seemed to like it |
Jeff
Making Trout Country safe for Slack Key! |
Edited by - JeffC on 08/02/2007 1:16:43 PM |
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hawaiianmusiclover06
`Olu`olu
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2007 : 12:50:57 PM
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I had the chance to see Lono a few years ago performing at Ala Moana Center on the center stage. He was awesome!
Alana :) |
Aloha Kakou, maluhia a me aloha mau loa (Hello everyone, peace and love forever) |
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Sarah
`Olu`olu
571 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2007 : 1:35:36 PM
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So I checked at Auntie Maria's, and Old Style I and II are both out of print. What's a girl to do??? :-O
aloha,
Sarah |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2007 : 2:21:25 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Sarah
So I checked at Auntie Maria's, and Old Style I and II are both out of print. What's a girl to do??? :-O
aloha,
Sarah
Aloha from New Jersey! Pehea `oe?
When I find myself in the out-of-print-what-is-a-girl-(or boy)-to-do situation, I go to three sources:
www.gemm.com
www.half.com
www.amazon.com
This time around GEMM and Half.com are a bust, but there are several copies of "Old Style" I and II at amazon.com.
I think I have a different take on Lono... I have heard him in person and I have the two CDs above, and I hear him more as a "tribute artist" - by which I mean that rather than seeking fresh, new arrangements and approaches, Lono's old style in most cases means recreating (often note-for-note) the same arrangements of these songs taken from recordings of long, long ago. His music is most reminiscent of the work of The Sons of Hawai`i. Lono recreates those old arrangements - right down to the intros and endings - almost perfectly, and he can because he is technically very gifted both vocally and with the guitar. But when I hear his music, I feel the same way I do when I hear Antonio Hart: Why would I want to hear Antonio Hart do Miles Davis when I could just listen to Miles Davis?
For an example of what I mean, check out the soundclips at Lono's website. The arrangement of "Waialae" is the same as Gabby's band performed it on the "Rabbit Island Music Festival" album, and the arrangements of "Ku`u Lei Mokihana" and "Aloha Ka Manini" are the same as Gabby's arrangements from the "Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band, Volume 1" album. And on and on and on.
Lono is extremely gifted. But my wish would be to hear him push the envelope a little bit - keeping tradition while moving it forward an inch or two. |
Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2007 : 2:26:51 PM
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aloha e bill,
i don't know, i've never heard anyone do "holoholo ka'a" like lono does. and, his "hanohano rough riders" with the minor chords in the pa'ani, nice!
aloha,
keith
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slackpup
Aloha
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2007 : 4:04:47 PM
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| All 3 Lono albums seem to be available at www.lonomusic.com. |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2007 : 7:13:22 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by hwnmusiclives
Lono is extremely gifted. But my wish would be to hear him push the envelope a little bit - keeping tradition while moving it forward an inch or two.
Then I think you would like Vol. 3 more than the first two - mostly originals on there. |
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Sarah
`Olu`olu
571 Posts |
Posted - 08/02/2007 : 03:38:06 AM
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Aloha mai e Bill,
Maika'i no au, pehea mai no 'oe? Mahalo nui no ka 'ike -- thanks a bunch for the info. I'll check that out and also lonomusic.com (thanks, slackpup).
aloha,
Sarah
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 08/02/2007 : 5:56:14 PM
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| Bill I must disagree. I think Lono may sort of sound like others but I still think he has his own voice. That's like saying every falsetto singer with a uke sounds like Aunty Genoa. Now you know that is not true. The song choices may be a tribute but that influence on a musician is very strong. That's why some players choose what they record very carefully. Somehow though we can't ignore how the masters have shaped our way of playing. Maybe someday I'll be able to emulate Yo Yo Ma but even he had to listen to others and read classical music and play the music note for note until he got so well known he could break the mold. It takes a while to become an individual and it is especially hard to do in the world of music. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2007 : 07:12:39 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by noeau
Maybe someday I'll be able to emulate Yo Yo Ma...
I want to be there when you do, brah. Front row, applauding loudest of all. (Wait --- I didn't see a cello at your place...you FULLA surprises!) |
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