Keali'i Blaisdell
feat. Cyril Pahinui |
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| Track Listing: (click links for audio samples) | |||||||||||||
| 1) Kalale'a | 6) Hawai'I We Will Return | ||||||||||||
| 2) Liholiho | 7) Ka Lehua O Kilauea | ||||||||||||
| 3) A Son's Plea | 8) Waianae | ||||||||||||
| 4) Hilo | 9) He Mele Ho'oipoipo | ||||||||||||
5) Kinoiki |
10) Koke'e Me Kalalau |
Product Description
Keeping It Traditional
Keali`i Blaisdell's second CD release Keeping
It Traditional; is destined to be an awe-inspiring
Traditional Hawaiian classic. Just like his first album, Ka
Ulu Mae`ole, he again unveils ten original
compositions that will be instant classics, such as: "Hilo", "Kalale`a",
"Hawai`i We Will Return", "Liholiho", "Ka Lehua
O Kilauea" and "Kinoiki". Keali`i's ability
to write "haku mele's", was taught to him by two very important
people
in his life that have passed on, his hanai sister, Judy "Nani Kaua`i"
Keamoai and his aunt, Pearl Namomilaniokai
Ka`ohelauli`i of Ni`ihau. They both stressed to him that in order to keep
our culture and our heritage alive,
we must do it with passion, education and originality, avoiding and ignoring
the politics surrounding our `olelo
and it's different ways of teachings (i.e. school taught [degree] vs. kupuna
taught).
Over the years, Keali'i's passion in perpetuating Traditional
Hawaiian music thru originality has caught
the attention and respect of one of Hawaii's most well-known and prolific
Traditional Hawaiian songwriters
of all time, Dennis Kamakahi. Dennis has said that Keali'i
is the next generation of "haku mele" songwriters,
and totally supports Keali'i's views that the only way
to perpetuate the Traditional Hawaiian music is to introduce
something new, which of course Keali'i is still learning,
and often collaborates with Dennis. Keali'i has also earned
the respect and attention of artists such as: Ledward Ka'apana, Roland Cazimero,
Darlene Ahuna, Ku'uipo
Kumukahi, Nohelani Cypriano, Sean Na'auao, and the late Dennis Pavao and
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole,
and his uncle, the legendary Grammy Award winning Cyril Pahinui. Cyril Pahinui,
who is featured with
Keali'i on this album, has classified Keali'i
as one of Hawaii's most gifted and talented artists because
of his ability of playing Ki Ho'alu, singing and his ability of writing
original "haku mele's." This album is
also a personal one for Keali'i and Cyril because it was
talked about being made together
since 1993, and finally, after it's completion in 2005, Charmagne Pahinui,
Cyril's wife
and Keali'i's aunty, had passed away…
Pacific Hawaiian Entertainment is proud to present, Keeping
It Traditional, a collection of heart-felt
original compositions. Each song reflect what Keali'i sees,
feels, his past experiences, his love about his
homeland, the continuing change of Hawaii and our culture, and the love
of his life. Deeply immersed in the
Hawaiian culture, Keali'i Blaisdell is on his way of becoming
one of Hawaii's most prolific "haku mele"
songwriters of all time, alongside the like of Mary Kawena Puku'i, Sam Lia
Kalainaina and Dennis Kamakahi.