We live a relatively sheltered life, and we admit it.
For most of our adult lives (nearly half a century), we have focused on traditional Hawaiian music. Much of our effort was in researching and performing the older, traditional Hawaiian songs. We can remember when we seriously added more than the occasional hapa-haole songs to our repertoire - when we found out how good some of those songs were, how well they were written and how beautiful they are. But it was still Hawaiian.
But we've always enjoyed other music as well.
As youngsters, we both listened to, and sang or played, other types of music, from country, western, folk, gospel, and brass band (in Keith's case) to "popular" music (in Carmen's case).
As adults, while performing Hawaiian music for a living, we continued to enjoy a variety of other music, adding a number of other genre to our growing list of music we enjoy - including classical, opera, big band, flamenco, barbershop haromonies, koto and shakuhachi and other Japanese sounds, jazz, blues, bluegrass, even Mexican mariachi.
In our multi-cultural Island home, we also are exposed to musics of other cultures, including Samoan, Tongan, Maori, Tahitian, all somewhat related to our Hawaiian music, and many others that are much less connected - Puerto Rican, Filipino, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, Native American, Irish, Scottish, Indian, Spanish, Portuguese, and other European.
Our own compositions and recordings reflect some of those changes in our likes and dislikes. We've composed Christmas songs, children's songs, patriotic, educational, country, Hawaiian, even a rap. Yes, a rap. Many were composed for specific reasons and seasons, and the rap was done to show parents of our young students that rap doesn't have to be bad. Rap doesn't have to be filled with violence, drugs, sex, profanity and obscenity. Our rap is called "In Bethlehem" and yes, it is a Christmas rap. It worked.
In answer to questions from some of our readers, yes, we often go out to enjoy musical performances of other than Hawaiian song and dance.
Recently, on consecutive nights, we caught Pierre Grill & Ginai (with guest Rocky Holmes) doing some wonderful jazz, and the Tradewinds, singing some of the most popular songs from the 50s, 60s, 70s, including "doo-wop" and some great harmonies and choreography.
Check them out at PierreGrill.Com, Ginai and at Tradewinds.
GINAI, one of Hawai`i' best
Pierre Grill in concert. AMAZING in any genre.
The Tradewinds - Booker, Chris, Michael, Willie - great harmonies
We often go to concerts ranging from high school bands (we have grandchildren) to symphony orchestras, and more.
Although we concentrate on Hawaiian music in this column and on our radio program, "The Music of Hawai`i," heard weekly on KIPO, 89.3 FM or www.hawaiipublicradio.com, we'd be remiss if we failed to mention some of the very popular Hawaiian artists who do other than Hawaiian music. A wonderful example, are those who were a part of the recent successful "Return To Romance Music Festival." Although the CD and many programs were built around the Matt Catingub Orchestra of Hawai`i musicians whose names don't ring a "Hawaiian" bell, some of the guest artists who performed with Matt's orchestra are better known for their Hawaiian performances than for jazz or other genre. That may change.
For example, Matt chose artists who had performed with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra in Pops Concerts, including Na Leo, Keali`i Reichel, Amy Hanaiali`i Gilliom, Raiatea Helm, and the Brothers Cazimero. The artists demonstrated well that they can perform and record in other genre, sometimes maybe even better than in Hawaiian.
Na Leo Pilimehana (Nalani, Lehua, Angela) are best known for performing and recording non-Hawaiian songs (but always including something wonderful from their Hawaiian heritage and culture), and all of the others have at least dabbled in less-than-traditional Hawaiian music, while still performing mostly Hawaiian.
Helm, a bright young star on the local music scene, is always likened to some of the "greats" of Hawaiian music, but showed that she can do other material just as well. Gilliom seems even more at home singing songs like "The Very Thought of You" and "What Are You Doing For The Rest of My Life?" Reichel often includes some very contemporary, non-Hawaiian songs in his recordings and performances and some of those songs are among his biggest hits - songs like "The Road That Never Ends" and "Wanting Memories." And Robert & Roland, the Brothers Cazimero ... what can we say? Never under-estimate what they can do and do well. Like Willie K and a handful of other contemporary Hawaiian artists that come to mind, there is almost nothing that they cannot do well, in almost any genre.
Amy Hanaiali`i Gilliom was also a 2006 Grammy nominee.
Watch for Catingub to record more CDs like "Return to Romance" and watch for the successful music festival to become an annual event, drawing from local singers, musicians and composers as well as attracting some of the best performers from afar.
Maestro Matt Catingub makes it happen.
