Customer Reviews

Black Sand

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Aloha! Here's the review I wrote for my free ki ho'alu (slack key guitar) ezine:

This release is a must have for any Hawaiian slack key music lover. It includes 13 cuts with one vocal and one performed on the autoharp. Led demonstrates his talent and skill with recordings in 6 different tunings.

Although it was hard to pick, my favorite cut is his nahenahe version of Dennis Kamakahi's Koke'e. Soft, sweet, and soothing, it speaks louder to the soul than any vocal piece ever could. And I feel this is why slack key music is so often moving emotionally to people... without words, the music touches the heart and soul.

Punahoa Special honors his Uncle Fred Punahoa who recorded this in 1974 as Slack Key Instrumental #1 on The Waimea Music Festival. You may recognize Aloha Ia No O Maui which was part of the medley titled Maui Serenade recorded in the late 1940's (available on the History of Slack Key Guitar - Hana Ola Records). This song was written by Maui singer Alice Johnson. Led has also included two Tahitian songs.

And surprise! A duet with Leonard Kwan. Wow! You'll love it. George Winston accompanies on piano in 'Akaka Falls.

Hopefully, Ledward will get to come back and spend some time being inspired here in Hawaii and writing more original music. Until then, all you folks on the mainland can enjoy his extensive touring.

I am extremely impressed with the music on this CD. Led Kaapana is an accomplished master, a gem of Hawaiian music. This irenic Slack Key Guitar music removes much of the stress I have received from a day. It is like a small tropical vacation. I am impressed with all of the tracks. My favourites are PUNAHOA SPECIAL and WAIAKANAIO because they are exceptional showpieces of Led's agile, nimble fingers. For those unfamiliar with Slack Key, it is similar to Blue Grass. If you are interested in listening to a virtuoso play intricate guitar works, this CD will be interesting to you.

Led Kaapana was just awarded this year's Hoku Award for "Instrumental Album of the Year" from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts for this Black Sand recording.

He truely is one of the world's top guitar pickers. You gotta hear this guy.....

Review of Ledward Kaapana Black Sand (Dancing Cat 38015) for Amazon.Com

Ledward Kaapana is so committed to music that he hones his genius by playing up to thirteen hours each day, alternating among several guitars and ukuleles, a banjo, a steel guitar, an autoharp, and probably anything else with strings. He plays his regular gigs at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel in Honolulu (Tuesdays from 6:00-9:00) and I Love Country Café in Mililani (Fridays and Saturdays whenever he doesn't have commitments on the mainland, Asia or Europe). Afterwards, he often drops in on other musicians and performs as a guest, gratis. With more than 60 album, CD, and/or video titles to his name, Led is a prolific musician. Although he is only 51, Led is a living treasure who has played music since he was five and performed professionally since he was nine. Ledward continually expands his horizons. In Waltz of the Wind (Dancing Cat, 38016, 1998) Led entered into a musical "discussion" among slack key, country, blue grass, and Cajun with some of the finest musicians of these non-Hawaiian types. In Hawai'i I Ka Pu'uwai (Leo Nui Productions, 1998), Led and his group Ikona played mostly Hawaiian music, but included a frenetic rendition of the surf song "Pipeline." In Black Sand, Led creates another musical dialogue, this time between slack key and classical guitar.

At least three themes unify this subtly spectacular CD: tribute to his musical mentors, tribute to places in Hawaii and other parts of Polynesia, and the yin and yang of destruction and creation.

These are some of the mentors honored. Uncles Fred Punahoa and Abraham Konanui Kalauli, along with Led's own parents, first trained him as a musician. Queen Lili'uokalani, as one of Hawai'i's greatest composers, serves as a mentor to all musicians. Sonny Chillingworth and Leonard Kwan preceded Ledward as slack key greats and shared their techniques with him. Kwan joins Led for a duet of "New 'Opihi Moemoe," Kwan's own composition. George Huddy lived in poverty but wrote some of the songs that helped Led's original group Hui Ohana become what we now recognize as the greatest Hawaiian group of all time. Musicians from Tahiti taught Ledward to expand his repertoire to include the music of all of Polynesia. And living musicians and composers Keith Haugen and Dennis Kamakahi are close friends with Led. Led honors his producer, George Winston on their guitar/piano duet. Finally, two hymns, "Kanaka Waiwai" and "O Maria" honor the ultimate Creator.

Haugen's "Mokupuni Nui" is the only vocal on the CD. Its lyrics could be alternate Hawaiian language liner notes. Its title means "The Big Island," the island of Hawai'i where Ledward was born and raised. The title cut, "Black Sand" honors the Kalapana region where Ledward spent his youth and teenage years. "Akaka Falls," with its water image, depicts an area of the island of Hawaii that remains lush and fertile. Other songs honor Mau'i, Kaua'i, the Windward coast of O'ahu, and Tahiti.

Connected to this honoring of places is the powerful theme of destruction and creation. Kaimu Black Sand Beach pictured on the CD cover is history, covered by tons of lava in the volcanic eruption that continues to this day. "Ninipo Ho'onipo" by Queen Lili'uokalani depicts this destruction in another way by referring to the myth of Madam Pele and Hopoe in which Madam Pele turns a captured maiden to stone. However, destruction is in reality part of creation. The other regions honored in Black Sand began as lava formations but are now such magnificent sites as Koke'e or Akaka Falls.

Akin to cosmic creation is musical creation. In addition to honoring his mentors and colleagues with their songs, Led includes two of his own creations. The title song "Black Sand" is a song that Led originally wrote for Na Leo Kano O Punahele, his first album after the break up of the Hui Ohana. "The Highway to Hana" is Ledward's most complex composition yet. In it Led, solo, both creates harmonic effects and a surprising, almost new age sound. This parallels other work Led has done with George Winston, such as his accompaniment of Kenny Loggins on a New Age song entitled "The Island" on the Windham Hill anthology Wood and Steel.

The flow of Black Sand emphasizes its variety. Led starts and ends with pure slack key songs. However, in between he ventures into a vocal and into classical and new age sounds. With fifteen songs and more than an hour of sweet music, Black Sand is a CD that gets richer and fuller with each hearing.

Beautiful instrumentals. Intricate and focused.

I play Led Kaapana instrumental CDs when I have to fully concentrate -- writing or analyzing something difficult.

If you get a chance to see him live, do so! His playfulness and sense of humor adds tremendously to his excellent live performance. He has a website that lists his appearances and tours. [...]

In response to another review: The recording is accurate. Mr. Kaapana uses the same moderate level of electronic enhancement in his live performances.

This really is an excellent CD. I bought it without knowing anything about Led Kaapana and I made a good pick. In my opinion, there's only one song I don't care for, but all others sound great. Excellent island flavor; no imitation Hawaiian sounds that some artists do to make you think you're in Hawaii. Pick it up...you'll be glad you did.

I bought this album back in 2002 and it's *STILL* in my car's CD changer. I just can't get over how well this guy plays. It's definitely one of the best albums I've ever heard. Very highly recommended! And it makes a great gift, not many people seem to have heard of Led. Really a gem, you've got to hear this one.

Just purchased Black Sand and almost really enjoyed it. The artistry is there, with Ledward displaying his fantastic slack key abilities. However each track is marred by an annoying use of electronic tremolo (possibly with reverb - sorry if inaccurate description, I'm not a sound engineer) throughout - so much so that I was completely distracted by it. Why someone thought this necessary is beyond me. The unadulterated sound would have been much preferred. Still worth buying for any Kaapana or slack key fan, but a bit of a disappointment.

This is a good example of classic Led kiho'alu guitar virtuosity that, for me, is improved by a total lack of Led's falsetto singing. Many fans of Led and Hawaiian music will disagree, but I personally dislike the falsetto singing style. This is mostly an instrumental album of six and twelve string guitar, with an interesting addition of two pieces played on the autoharp. This is a solid album that will appeal to any fans of Hawaiian Slack Key guitar.

Great Fahey/Kottke inspired fingerstyle. We saw him last week and he's much more aggressive than this CD, which is very laid back. Note that this CD was released in 2000, not 2011.