Hawaiian Love Songs (Na Mela Aloha)

George Kahumoku | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 8, 2011)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dancing Cat
• ASIN: B000056CAF
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,379 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #20 in Music > Indie Music > World Music > Pacific Islands
  • #67 in Music > World Music > Pacific Islands > Hawaii

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On Hawaiian Love Songs, George Kahumoku skillfully manages the delicate balancing act of stretching the sonic boundaries of slack-key guitar technique while keeping the music firmly rooted in tradition. On tracks like "The Queen's Prayer," which features a bass-string glissando inspired by the Chantays' surf-guitar classic "Pipeline," Kahumoku's 12-string guitar playing recalls the intricate picking of a young Leo Kottke. On gentler tracks like "Nu'oli" and "Nakalele" he revels in the gorgeous melodies that Hawaiian musicians seem to produce in endless streams. Kahumoku is joined by vocalist Diana Aki for a duet on the tragic love song "Keiki Mahine." Other guest artists include slide-guitar master Bob Brozman and harmonica player Norton Buffalo, who adds a soulful blues wail to "Lei Pikake." Hawaiian Love Songs is a beautiful blend of contemporary slack-key guitar playing by a musician who respects the past, but doesn't feel compelled to repeat it. --Michael Simmons

Product Description

Hawaiian Love Songs (Na Mela Aloha) by George Kahumoku

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Gotta Love This Stuff, April 27, 2001

By 

Charles A. Cooper (Jacksonville, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hawaiian Love Songs (Na Mela Aloha) (Audio CD)

I have been a serious listener of Hawaiian slack key for nearly 25 years, and this is some of the best I have ever heard. Slack key music is like blues in that it is based on a rather simple set of musical ideas which allow each performer an infinite space for interpretation and feeling. The happening thing is not so much the notes or chord changes that are played as the honestly and rightness of each musicians approach. At its best slack key can invoke some of the purest musical listening moments available; at its worst it can drift toward a polished sentimentality, which is often quite boring. This album happily achieves the former and not the latter. With every single note Kahumoku demonstrates his sincere love of traditional music, his wonderful guitar artistry and his tremendous musical judgement. His vocals have a raw tonal quality which is perfect for these songs and very authentically Hawaiian. Overall this effort is distinguised by a natural, unadorned quality and a trust of the music itself, which is often lost when Hawaiian muscicians enter the studio. Kudos are due to George Winston for allowing the music to be what it is and avoiding the hoaky production standards that ruin a lot of Hawaiian recorded music.

This is really one of the most exciting thing I have come across since I first heard the Gabby Pahinui Band back in the late seventies. If you have never heard real Hawaiian slack key before this would be a great introduction. If you are already into the genre, this one was made with you in mind!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hawaiian Love Songs, June 27, 2007

By 

Kartikeyani (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hawaiian Love Songs (Na Mela Aloha) (Audio CD)

Just back from a trip to Kauai I obtained this CD with the hope of bringing back some of the peace and relaxation that we experienced there. I thought the intro to the first song was a little different than I was looking for but as I continued listening the song became more and more beautiful. Then the rest of the CD with its gorgeous melodies and simple style made me want to just sit in my papasan chair on my patio and drift off to the islands. This is definitely one of the most beautiful CDs I have ever heard and extremely capable of inducing peace and calmness.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars genuine Hawaiian music, July 30, 2011

By 

Samuel Kafrissen "Skafro68" (Boston,Ma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hawaiian Love Songs (Na Mela Aloha) (Audio CD)

I just returned from two weeks in Hawaiian and was enchanted by the music there. I was lucky to see Grammy Award winners George Kahumoku jr. and his son perform on Maui on slack-key guitar. When I returned home I bought this album (Hawaiian Love Songs) through Amazon. Say good-bye, or aloha, to Don Ho and hear some of the real, and very best of Hawaiian music.