Customer Reviews

Venus & the Sky Turn to Clay: the Instrumental World Of Makana

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Heard this CD playing in a cafe in downtown Hawaii and had to come online and get it. Dont' regret it one bit....especially when things get hectic, this is a beautiful CD to put on and destress. Also makes a great gift as well...enjoy!

Calming, passionate and a true delight to listen to. An essential album for anyone who appreciates instrumental guitar music, (be it slack key, flamenco, classical guitar or even rock and trance), for his far scope exceeds "traditional" slack key. It is "a must" for those who appreciate the unique voice of the guitar, which only a master of the art form could arouse with such skill.

I love Makana's vocal work, but because this album is instrumental, I can listen to it to center myself in order to start working on my art work, for yoga, to decompress and to just enjoy the range of Makana's gift. It feeds the soul.

I love this album. I didn't know who Makana was when I saw him in concert in Maui. I was so impressed with his skills and his music. This album shows off his skills, but also reaches inside you. "Soothing" is a good word for this album, but there is more to it than that if you listen.

Have been following Makana and like all his albums, but this one is transforming, or transcendental.
He shows his roots in Hawaiian slack-key tuning, but he goes way beyond all that. Totally original.
It is the most beautiful music I have in my pretty large collection. It is very symphonic in that there
are repeated thematic lines which run throughout the tracks. And the themes are totally unique to
Makana. He strays from tonic keys in unorthodox ways, but so smoothly that it is breathtakingly
free.. and did I say beautiful, really beautiful. I will never grow tired of this, and I am doing my best
to pick it up on my guitar. He is an exceptional inspiration. Mahalo.

I don't actually ride my horse to this particular CD - but I always (from the first day I bought it - about two months ago) have it on in my home office while I pay bills, work on the internet, etc... Although I have a ton of CD's, and a LOT of Hawaii themed CD's - this is the one I listen to - over and over. I can easily listen to it 5 or 6 times in the morning, and enjoy all the music, each and every time. And then, I end up listening to the CD again, in the evening. It is THAT good. I first heard this CD in a ABC store (don't you just LOVE those stores) and then in the Pacific Whale Foundation store - both in Maui. There is a companion CD with a slightly different cover out there - ABC and the PWF stores were both out of them and I can't find it on Amazon. I keeping looking! Canter on! Ride to the Music

Sometimes I want to enjoy slack key without getting totally involved. This is the CD I always turn to. Excellent technique, good variety, light and happy.

As a university professor "teaching future teachers" for elementary education, I often recommend that music be incorporated into the classroom. Music and the other performing arts are highly correlated to learning and can add to increasing interest, motivation, and creativity. Music should be used with meaningful integration within the curriculum and when used as "background" music, it should be instrumental only (for the brain subconsciously connects to the linguistic nature of words.) Finally, I have found an album that I use in my own classroom, which is Makana's Venus & the Sky Turn to Clay: the Instrumental World of Makana. Who should purchase this album? All classroom teachers for the music is multicultural, inspirational, and stimulates creativity. Parents who want more than the "Mozart Effect" (which research has proven to be flawed. People who want to de-stress their own lives and awaken their inner creativity and imagination. Readers who have read Susan Trott's, Holy Man Trilogy, for they know the value of profound journeys. And finally, multi-taskers who need to have the synergy to do what they do!

Nice clean notes but the music as a whole is forgetable.
I'm sure Makana is passionate guitarist but unfortunately for me this example was not what I was looking for when it comes to fusing Hawaiian melody to the mainstream.
If Makana can take the soul of Hawaiian mele and translate that to his musical scores than I might consider purchasing more from his works.