Hawaii on a Silver Platter

Whenever I visit places, I like to sample music from the place I visit. Usually, I just try and find what is "hot" in the country I'm visiting and buy a sampling of the popular music from there. I find it much easier to evoke memories of the place from the music than just a plastic souvenir. Expect quite a bit of "world music" sampling in this blog down the line. In the near future, I have already lined up some music from France, India and Poland.

Before we travel that far, though, let me take you to Hawaii. While most of you have heard some Hawaiian music, I was entranced by CDs from Keali'i Reichel during my visit to Hawaii many, many years ago. Like most of my world music tastes, this is probably not "traditional" music but rather fusion music that blends traditional elements with modern melodies and instruments to make the sound easier for us to process. In addition to Keali'i Reichel, I also bought an album by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Facing Future) which was also great, but didn't find it as instantly likable as the one by Reichel. I just found myself putting the Reichel album on more frequently. Still, if you like these samples and decide to purchase a Keali'i Reichel album, make sure you also check out Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. You can find this album on Amazon here. If you'd rather see all the Keali'i Reichel albums carried by Amazon (including a Greatest Hits collection), click here.

The wonder of this album is that it consists of catchy melodies and a strong, clear tenor vocal. You may not understand a word of what is being sung, but you can't help but sway to the music. You'll also find it absolutely relaxing - nothing jarring or grating on this album at all. For you Beatles fans, there's even a cover of In My Life on the Kawaipunahele album. Even if you've never been to Hawaii, this album is bound to instantly generate the beautiful imagery of the islands. Now that's powerful music.

So, from the album Kawaipunahele, here are two songs from Keali'i Reichel ...

1. Keali'i Reichel - Ku'u Wehi O Ke Aumoe (3.63 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Keali'i Reichel - Kawaipunahele (4.38 MB; 128kbps MP3)