2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Waikiki in the 40s, February 8, 2007
This review is from: Legends of Waikiki (Audio CD)
This is a wonderful collection of the best of Bell Records, a small label in Honolulu that recorded the best of the Waikiki musicians with unbelievable attention to quality, that comes through in this great remastered and lovingly annotated CD. There is a terrific variety of sounds here -- Hawaiian takes on many of the different styles of pop music in the 40s. The biggest surprise for me is the big band style song by John K Almeida, who is one of the greatest folk/pop Hawaiian artists from the 30s into the 60s. This collection was originally titled Vintage Hawaiian Treasures, Volume 5, Show Biz Hula. It's Hawaiian music for the tourist scene at Waikiki. But there is nothing fake about it. These people entertained with a sincere love of their traditions that in no way conflicted with their aloha for the tourists. To me it feels more like today's Waikiki than the current "Jawaiian" reggae-style hits.
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