DEC 31, 2010
Collaboration captures aloha
‘Practicing Aloha: The Songs of Cindy Paulos’
Various artists_(self-published)
Maui residents Cindy Paulos (music and lyrics) and Fulton Tashombe (instrumentation and arrangements) are the foundation of this compilation that includes recordings by several prominent island vocalists. Kali’i Kaneali’i has the lead vocal on the title track — a song with the same commercial potential as Danny Couch’s 1999 hit, “Have You Seen These Islands.” Eric Gilliom, George Kahumoku and Marty Dread star on others.
Give Tashombe credit for his range as an arranger and performing artist. As might be expected, hapa-haole and pop arrangements predominate, but he delivers a thick slice of classic soul with “Celebrate.” Gilliom and Maui resident Kelly Covington join him as the vocalists on the number while Hutch Hutchinson lays down a solid, soulful foundation on bass.
The song is, alas, Covington’s only track on the album; it has been much too long since her last full-length album. Gilliom is heard on several other selections and does a solid job on all of them. He shows his soulful side with “Peace in Paradise” and is joined by his niece Madeline Austin (identified in the credits as “Amy Gilliom’s daughter”) on one of the others. Eric Gilliom has never seemed more soulful; including Madeline was a nice touch.
Light Caribbean rhythms add bounce to Dread’s two numbers. The first of them, “Say Yes,” could be embraced as the antidote to the Reagan-era mantra of “Just Say No.” The lyric message — believe in yourself, “say yes to the dream” — fits Dread quite well.
Tashombe also makes good use of studio sidemen to embellish his work as the “instrumentation” of the project. Guitarist Robbie Ray adds the vibrant textures of acoustic guitar to one song; David Choy contributes the beauty of tenor sax to another.
Paulos’ lyrics are inspirational without specifying a particular faith or set of doctrines. Anyone who believes in the existence of a supernatural deity can probably embrace her call to, for instance, “say yes to the light within” and “live the love inside of you.”
Covington, Dread, Gilliom, Kahumoku and Kaneali’i need no introduction, but including brief artist bios for Gretchen Rhodes, Jamie Lawrence and Josh Tatofi would have helped introduce them to audiences outside the Valley Isle (Jawaiian music fans might recognize Tatofi as the son of Tiva Tatofi, one of the three founding members of Kapena).
The chant that opens the album goes untranslated, but lyrics for the English-language songs are available at
www.PracticingAloha.com.
www.PracticingAloha.com
“Practicing Aloha”_ “Mana”_ “Celebrate”
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