FAVORITE SON
Eddie Kamae releases his first music album in 25 years with a new version of the legendary Sons of Hawaii, and the new boys sound pretty darn good. And Eddie, well, he’s still Eddie
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Aia no I ka mea e mele ana. (Let the singer select the song.) - Hawaiian proverb
Eddie Kamae’s latest CD, titled Yesterday & Today, is significant for several reasons, and each raises a question:
It’s his first recording of new material in more than 25 years. Why the decades of silence?
It features the “new” Sons of Hawaii with Paul Kim, Mike Kaawa, Ocean Kaowili and Analu Aina. Has the music changed?
It marks a turning point in Kamae’s life and career, when an “entertainer” becomes a cultural “master.” Why must we now listen more intently?
Before you rush out to buy Kamae’s new CD - and you should - read on to be enlightened about this renaissance man. It will help you to listen to Kamae’s music with new ears. While one can enjoy Kamae’s compositions strictly for pleasure - it sounds that good - there’s a greater appreciation when you understand what’s behind the music and the man.
It also follows a Hawaiian tradition. When a storyteller tells a story, one should listen carefully to understand the origins, the life lessons implied and the nuances that make it poetic.
No one is a better storyteller than the 80-year-old Kamae. He’s a troubadour for our times.
Yesterday & Today was released by Mountain Apple Company Jan. 29. It will be followed Feb. 26 by the release of Eddie and Myrna Kamae’s latest documentary DVD, titled Lahaina: Waves of Change. You will want both for your treasury of Hawaiian cultural keepsakes.
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Kamae has been a key figure in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance, which found one of its earliest and strongest voices in the Sons of Hawaii, the charismatic band formed in the 1960s by Kamae and legendary singer-guitar virtuoso Gabby Pahinui. The band became known for the authenticity of its feeling and choice of songs, many of which were a result of Kamae’s research into the archives of long-neglected melodies and lyrics.
Six of the Sons’ classics have been remastered for this latest CD. Those six represent “yesterday.” Featured on those selections are Dennis Kamakahi, Joe Marshall, David “Feet” Rogers and Moe Keale.
The opening cut Ka `Opae (The Shrimp) takes you down home immediately, as the voice of a young Kamakahi recalls the Sons’first recording. Kamakahi’s penchant for country western music punctuates the song with his banjo picking, complemented by Keale’s harmonica playing.
Other nostalgic favorites are Rogers’ Kawika Slack Key, Kamakahi’s Kanaka Waiolina (The Fiddle Man), Kamae’s arrangement of Kehaulani, Mary Kawena Pukui’s Punalu`u Nani (Beautiful Punalu`u), and Mauna`olu sung by the Big Island’s Diana Aki.
Each has the signature Sons of Hawaii “old time” styling to render songs by Queen Lili`uokalani and David Kalakaua, hula meles, and poetic legacies by forgotten composers.
The hiatus in Kamae’s recordings, spanning more than 25 years, followed the deaths of his mentors such as Hawaiian poet Sam Li`a Kalainaina, Hawaiian language expert Mary Kawena Pukui and close friend-musician “Feet” Rogers. The singular styling of Rogers’steel guitar had been integral to the sound of the Sons’ band. Kamae couldn’t imagine recording without him. Grief simply had to run its course.
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Meanwhile, Kamae turned his talents to filmmaking and, while performing solo, continued to seek musicians with the right sound and the right heart for his brand of Hawaiian music. He has found that characteristic sound and quality in the “new” Sons of Hawaii.
Joining Kamae on the CD’s “Today” selections are steel guitarist Paul Kim, Mike Kaawa on rhythm guitar, Ocean Kaowili on guitar and Analu Aina on bass. They add energy and power to interpretations of Ku`u Lei Na`uia, celebrating the virtues of a voluptuous woman; Ua Nani `O Nu`uanu, that honors King Kamehameha IV’s summer home; and Maka Ua, about gentle rains
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