John Berger of The Honolulu Star-Bulletin says: "This isn't the first tribute album to honor...the popularity of an iconic artist, but it sets a new standard for any and all that come after.

Gabby "Pops" Pahinui was not a prolific composer, but he was the most influential Hawaiian slack-key guitarist of the 20th century. therefore, rather than have a bunch of hot young artists redo Pahinui's music in their style, producer 'Flip' McDiarmid has collected 10 recordings by artists who were influenced by Pahinui's music and have sought to perpetuate it – George Kuo, Dwight Kanae, Albert Kaai and Anita Pahinui Nakamura, to name four.

There's also a recording of "Moana Chimes" by Raymond Kane...[and]...a beautiful 1961 vintage recording of Pahinui playing 'Nani Wale Lihu‘e,' 'Silver Threads Among The Gold' and 'Wai‘alae.' "

McDiarmid includes all the documentation to make this album a perfect introduction to pahinui's life. It includes an overview of Pahinui's life, short bios of the other artists and the slack-key tunings used on each song." (1/4/08)

Album Tracks:

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1. Slack Key Medley:  Nani Wale Lihu'e/Silver Threads Among the Gold/Wai'alae
2. Old Hi'ilawe
3. L&L Medley:  Lihu'e/Lei Nani
4. Moana Chimes
5. Kahalewai's Tune
6. Maunaloa Blues
7. He'eia
8. Panini Pua Kea
9. Lei No Ka'iulani
10. Kohala Morning
11. Pu'uwa'awa'a
12. Aloha Slack Key

This CD, the 8th in the series of Aloha Festivals Falsetto Contest Winners, presents debut recordings by 2006 winners, Kalani Benanua (Maui's contest) and Elijah Isaac (Kaua‘i's contest). They are backed by some of Hawai‘i's best musicians: Dwight Kanae on guitar, William "Baba" Alimoot on upright bass, Casey Olsen playing Hawaiian steel guitar, and Jan Luna on keyboards.

Vintage recordings by 2006 inductees into the Falsetto Hall of Fame – Benny Kalama, Kahauanu Lake, Dennis Pavao and John Piilani Watkins – give buyers examples of classic male falsetto sung by the masters. Informative liner notes complete this excellent introduction to the Hawaiian art form.

Album Tracks:

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1. Moloka'i (John Piilani Watkins)
2. Kaulana 'O Hilo Hanakahi (Elijah Isaacs)
3. Pakalana (Kalani Benanua)
4. Mi Nei (Kahauanu Lake)
5. Aloha Ka Manini (Kalani Benanua)
6. U'ilani (Elijah Isaac)
7. Alekoki (Kalani Benanua)
8. 'Ainahau (Elijah Isaac)
9. Lahela Ku'u Poki'i (Dennis Pavao)
10. Ke Ali'i Hulu Mamo (Elijah Isaac)
11. Queen's Jubilee (Kalani Benanua)
12. Kealoha (Benny Kalama)
    

Album Tracks:

1. Mona Lisa
2. Kaleohano
3. 'Ulili E
4. Medley:  Hanohano Wale No Na Cowboy/Ka Huila Wai
5. Hi'ilawe
6. Henehene Kou 'Aka
7. Medley:  Ahi Wela/Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
8. 'Opae E
9. Starting All Over Again
10. Over the Rainbow
11. Panini Puakea
12. La 'Elima
13. In This Life
14. "Oxygen"

Kahauanu Lake "elevated the basic technique of strumming to an art form while also demonstrating the importance of going beyond simple chords. He bucked tradition with arrangements in which the ‘ukulele defined the melody rather than the rhythm of a song, helping the humble (‘ukulele) make the leap to lead instrument rather than a sidekick to the guitar or piano. – John Berger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 9/28/03

 "This reissue, part of Hula Records' Legendary Classics Series, captures ('Mr. K's') timeless presence – a 1965 recording retrofitted for a 2007 audience, complete with enhanced liner notes jammed with lyrics and translations, a roster of achievements and awards from the mid-1980s till now, and a bonus track, 'Na Mamo Ali‘i.'...The tunes are like handpicked fruit from a tree laden with ripe mangoes, composed by some of the stellar old-time pros..." – Wayne Harada, Honolulu Advertiser, 8/10/07.

Album Tracks:

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1. Pua Lililehua
2. Ka'u Nui
3. Pili Palua
4. 'A'ole La
5. He Mana'o Ko'u Ia 'Oe
6. Home Kapaka
7. Hu'i E
8. Ke 'Ala Ka'u I Honi
9. Hualalai
10. He Aloha Ku'u Ipo
11. Pili Me 'Oe
12. Medley:  Ku'u Lei Ho'i Mai Malihini
13. Bonus Track:  Na Mamo Ali'i
    
    

Hawaii Calls is proud to present "Blue Hawaii – The Most Requested Songs of the Islands," part of our series of albums – the Hawaii Calls Collection. In response to tens of thousands of requests by visitors, we've compiled a recording of the most requested songs of the Islands – original, authentic Hawaiian songs recorded live by the Hawaii Calls stars that made them famous – including music legends Pua Almeida, Alfred Apaka, Charles K. L. Davis, Haunani Kahalewai, and Nina Keali‘iwahamana – all backed by the Hawaii Calls Orchestra and Chorus.

Album Tracks:

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1. Blue Hawai'i
2. Waikiki
3. Hukilau
4. Across the Sea
5. Lil' Brown Gal
6. Beyond the Reef
7. Old Plantation (Ku'u Home)
8. Hawai'i Calls
9. Honolulu
10. 'Akaka Falls (Wailele O 'Akaka)
11. Hapa Haole Hula Girl
12. South Sea Island Magic
13. To You, Sweetheart, Aloha
14. Aloha 'Oe (Farewell to You)
    
    

Hear the songs that lured visitors to our shores... These same songs that got Tutu (Grandma) out of her seat for an impromptu hula at family parties will have you swaying to the music! Ho‘omaakaukau...get ready to hula...with Darlene Ahuna, the Big Island's premiere female vocalist. Information concerning the selections, song lyrics and their translations are included.

Album Titles:

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1. Kuahiwi Nani
2. Papalina Lahilahi
3. Makee 'Ailana
4. Kamalani O Keaukaha
5. Kaimana Hila
6. Pua 'Ahihi
7. E Ku'u Baby Hot Cha Cha
8. Haole Hula
9. Ku'u Milimili
10. Nani Wai'ale'ale
11. Miloli'i
12. Pohai Kealoha
13. The Queen's Prayer (Ke Aloha O Ka Haku)
    
    

In response to numerous requests for traditional and contemporary Polynesian drum music, we present "Drumbeats of the Pacific, Vol. 2: Songs & Dances of the Islands." Our goal in putting together this project was twofold: to provide visitors to the Islands with musical memories of their stay, and to offer students of music and dance these dance beats representative of the cultures of Rarotonga, Aitutaki Atoll, Pukapuka, Atiu, Manihiki, Mangaia - the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Samoa, Tokelau, and the islands of Wallis and Futuna. ((P)) The package includes an introduction by master drummer Dr. Jon Jonassen as well as brief notes regarding each drum piece.

Album Tracks:

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1. Rutu Taki:  Samba
2. Drummer's Symphony
3. Rutu Taki:  Ei Roto
4. Takoto
5. Puara-Ta
6. Ani
7. Atiu Enua
8. Paea
9. Borabora
10. Pahe
11. Borabora (Take 2)
12. Mati
    
    

In response to numerous requests for another album of traditional and contemporary Polynesian drum music, Hula Records International is pleased to present volume 3 of "Drum Beats Of The Pacific: Songs and Dances of the Islands."

Our goal in compiling these rhythms was twofold: to provide visitors with musical memories of their stay in the Islands, and to offer students of music and dance these dance beats representative of the cultures of Rorotonga, Aitutaki, Pukapuka, Mangaia - the Cook Islands, and Tahiti. This time, in addition to introductory notes by master drummer Dr. Jon Jonassen, we have included carefully annotated instructions to replicate the drum sequences, making it an invaluable tool for dance groups or for those who just want to try their hand and Pacific Island drumming.

Album Tracks:

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1. Tavanui E
2. Pa'ea/Rutu Taki/Kakaia
3. Ta'ae O Tangaroa/Takoto
4. Te Ulu Ote Watu
5. Aitutaki/Pukapuka
6. Atavaivalo/Orama
7. Kia Orana
8. Rutu Taki Ei Roto
9. Amuri/Mokora
10. Akauka Ra
11. Mutiny
12. Rutu Taki Ei Roto
13. Pa'ea A'aki Anani
14. Ura Pi'a
    
    

Album Tracks:

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1. Hawai'i '78 (Introduction)
2. Ka Huila Wai
3. 'Ama 'ama
4. Panini Pua Kea
5. Take Me Home Country Road
6. Kuhio Bay
7. Ka Pua U'i
8. White Sandy Beach of Hawai'i
9. Henehene Kou 'Aka
10. La 'Elima
11. Pili Me Ka'u Manu
12. Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man
13. Kaulana Kawaihae
14. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
15. Hawaii '78

"Hawaii's Favorites, Vol. 1 – from yesterday and today" is a collection of traditional Hawaiian and hapa-haole tunes, chosen for their popularity with locals and tourists alike. We asked Mathew Koenig, 30-year veteran music retailer and former Retail Director of Hawai'i's Tower Records outlets, to pick some of his favorite, and best-selling Hawaiian songs. He did, and the result is this CD containing performances by some of Hawai‘i's stellar artists – Don Ho, Alfred Apaka, Nina Keali‘iwahamana, Genoa Keawe, The Kahauanu Lake Trio, Kawai Cockett, and Nathan Aweau, among them.

Album Tracks:

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1. One Paddle, Two Paddle
2. On a Coconut Island
3. 'Akaka Falls
4. Kaulana Kaua'i
5. Kilakila 'O Maui
6. Sweet Leilani
7. It's Aloha Friday
8. Little Brown Gal
9. Pupu A'o Ewa/Pearly Shells
10. Papalina Lahilahii
11. Lu'au Drum Beats
12. The Hawaiian Wedding Song
13. Aloha 'Oe
    

Just as you'll always remember a beautiful Hawaiian sunset, with its brilliant colors, the soft trade winds blowing your hair, and the warm sea around you, you'll never forget "Hawaii's Favorite Instrumentals." Hawaiian music is not only folk tunes played on 'ukulele and steel guitar. Hawaiian music can also be very full and lush and beautiful, as performed here by the Orchestral Strings.

Hawai‘i's favorite instrumentals are those songs known to all of us in Hawai‘i, and to others who have visited Hawai‘i from around the world: The world famous "Ke Kali Nei Au" (The Hawaiian Wedding Song), "Tiny Bubbles" and "I'll Remember You," and the enduring "Aloha ‘Oe." They're all as memorable as a Hawaiian sunset and the beauty of our Islands.

Album Tracks:

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1. Hawaiian Wedding Song
2. Pearly Shells
3. Tiny Bubbles
4. I'll Remember You/Days of My Youth
5. Diamond Head
6. The Wonderful World of Aloha
7. Lahainaluna
8. Tropical Night
9. One Paddle, Two Paddle
10. Aloha 'Oe
    
    

No other medium introduced more Hawaiian songs to the world than our live weekly broadcasts of the Hawaii Calls radio show – not vinyl, movies, television, tape or compact discs. "Hawaii Calls Presents: Greatest Hits, Vol. II," is the second offering of a multi-volume compilation of the greatest hits introduced to the world by the show over its 40-year history, performed by the original stars that made them famous. This recording, part of the exclusive Hawaii Calls Collection, contains rare or previously impossible-to-find Hawaiian music that pays homage to the golden era of Hawaiian radio. Among the songs we've selected to conjure up romantic memories and relaxing images of the tropical paradise that is Hawai‘i, are both stellar vocal and virtuoso instrumental performances – all taken from actual live performances.

Album Tracks:

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1. I am Hawai'i
2. Hukilau
3. On the Beach at Waikiki (Instrumental)
4. Beyond the Reef
5. Hawaiian War Chant (Instrumental)
6. Song of the Islands
7. Blue Hawai'i
8. Drifting and Dreaming (Instrumental)
9. King's Serenade
10. Mai Poina 'Oe I'au (Instrumental)
11. Hi'ilawe
12. My Isle of Golden Dreams (Instrumental)
13. Aloha 'Oe (Instrumental)
    
    

In 1973 Raymond Kane became the first slack key (ki ho‘alu) artist to perform a full-length solo recital. He went on to become one of the most widely honored artists in the world of Hawaiian music. Today, a generation of younger musicians has come to revere Raymond's style as the purest example of traditional ki ho‘alu. His many students – including his protege, Michael Lowe – who joins him on this album, ensure that his legacy will live on.

Here is music to calm your thoughts at the end of the day, transporting you to the beach in Nanakuli where Raymond Kane grew up, where each day's sunset sends amber beams of light down O‘ahu's Leeward coast. Listen to the slack key melodies that move with the easy motion of ocean waves at dusk, reminding us that the world always looks a little better as the sun is going down.

Album Titles:

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1. Hu'i E
2. Ke Kaula 'Ili
3. Mo'opuna Lullaby
4. Ahi Wela
5. Na Hoa He'e Nalu
6. La Paloma
7. Ka Punahou
8. Moana Chimes
9. 'Opelu
10. Kuamo'o Slack Key
11. The Sidewalks of New York
12. Papakolea
13. Home Sweet Home
    
    

Another in the Hawaii Calls Collection is "Hawaiian Wedding Song – Songs  For A Hawaiian-Style Wedding" – a recording specifically designed for weddings, from procession to reception – and the memories they evoke. "Hawaiian Wedding Song" is a compilation of the most requested love songs and features the extraordinary vocal stylings of the stars of Hawaii Calls, all backed by the incomparable Hawaii Calls Orchestra and Chorus. It is the only recording available with both vocal and instrumental versions of the ever-popular "Hawaiian Wedding Song" ("Ke Kali Nei Au"). This recording also includes the "original" Hawaiian wedding song "Lei Aloha Lei Makamae" (Forevermore).

To assist you in planning your event, we've included the English lyrics of all of the wedding songs.

Album Tracks:

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1. Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)
2. I'll Remember You
3. 'Mapuana
4. Paoakalani
5. Moon of Manakoora
6. Beautiful Kahana
7. Beyond the Reef
8. Lei Aloha, Lei Makamae (Forevermore)
9. Beyond the Rainbow
10. Sweet Leilani
11. 'Makalapua (Profuse Bloom)
12. Lovely Hula Hands
13. Pua Mae 'Ole
14. Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)
    

You love REAL Hawaiian music? Then you know the happy voice of Kawai Cockett - or you should. You can recognize it from the first note, and he'll make you smile and keep you smiling. It is an irresistible invitation to get up and hula, hula, hula! ((P)) Kawai grew up believing Hawaiian music is for fun. And even after decades of performing professionally, he still thinks so. So will you.  Most of the songs on this recording are hula favorites, or forgotten favorites - with a few that will be new favorites in the old tradition. You'll want to get up and hula with Kawai Cockett!

Album Titles:

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1. Ku'u Lei Onaona
2. Kaulana Kaua'i
3. Na Moku Kaulana
4. Na Limahana
5. The Cowboy Hula
6. Hili Ha
7. Nani Wale Ku'u 'Ike
8. No Tutu
9. Maka 'Aloholohi
10. The Firemen's Hula
11. Lae Lae
12. Koa'e
    
    

Album Tracks:

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1. Kawaipunahele
2. In My Life
3. Hanohano Ka Lei Pikake
4. If We Hold on Together
5. E Ho'i Ka Pili
6. Wanting Memories
7. Kauanoeanuhea
8. Ku'u Wehi O Ke Aumoe
9. 'Akaka Falls
10. Pua Mikinolia
11. Come Sail Away
12. He Mele Inoa No Kawaipunahele

Special Hula Instructions Included!

Featuring the beautiful voice of Nina Keali'iwahmana, and the Maile Serenaders.

Your Hawai‘i vacation is behind you, but the warm memories of her people, the music, and the good times remain: The lazy afternoon spent on Waikiki Beach, the day trip to Maui to visit Haleakala, and that luau where you bravely stepped up to "learn the hula" – knees bent, hands on your hips, dancing to the hypnotic rhythm of the music. The experience was exhilarating, but there wasn't enough time to really learn the dance.

Now here's your second chance to let go of your inhibitions and have fun learning the dance. Hula instructions and all the music you'll need to get started are here in one package. Don't just sit there. Get up, slip out of your shoes, loosen up those hips and Let's Hula!

Album Tracks:

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1. Lovely Hula Hands
2. The Hukilau Song
3. Beyond the Reef
4. Princess Pupule
5. Keep Your Eyes on the Hands
6. Holoholo Ka'a
7. Little Brown Gal
8. A Song of Old Hawaii
9. Hawaiian Hospitality
10. For You a Lei
11. To You, Sweetheart, Aloha
12. Anapau
    
    

"Maui Morning" is a unique instrumental recording featuring world-renowned shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) master, Riley Lee (of Hawai`i and Australia) and Maui born Jeff Peterson, who, as a youth, learned to play slack key guitar from the paniolo (cowboys) at Haleakala Ranch. Lee is a seasoned recording artist who, at the time of this release, had some 40 albums under his belt, while Peterson, who has studied with some of the world's best classical and jazz guitarists, and is himself a music teacher, was a newcomer to the recording world.

Never before has there been such a recording! The shakuhachi has not been used in either traditional or contemporary Hawaiian music ensembles. No "standard" repertoire of duets exists for the shakuhachi and guitar. Together Lee and Peterson assembled a collection of favorite Island melodies and set about making beautiful music together. Here are seven Hawaiian classics that span the generations, an original title track composed by Jeff Peterson, and a version of the ever-popular "Hawaiian Wedding Song" that is appropriate for use in wedding ceremonies.

Information about the compositions, the shakuhachi and ki ho‘alu is included.

Album Tracks:

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1. Maui Morning
2. Ku'u Home O Kahalu'u
3. Pua Lililehua
4. Honolulu City Lights
5. Lei Pikake
6. Mauna Loa
7. Pupu Hinuhinu
8. Kawika
9. Lei Nani
10. Morning Dew
11. Pua Tubarose
12. The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)