Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Music | July/August 2002

Adventures in Dining
By J.W. JUNKER

Slack Key Magic

This collection of Queen Lili'uokalani's songs showcases the interesting harmonies, subtle improvisation and softly driving bass of Ozzie Kotani's slack key style

Though most of them date back more than a century, the marvelous songs of Queen Lili'uokalani (1838-1917) still enjoy wide popularity in Hawai'i. Everyone knows the famous ones, like "Aloha 'Oe," reportedly inspired in the 1870s by two lovers kissing. There are also many lesser-known gems, like the stirring anthem "Ka Wai 'Apo Lani," which defends the queen's right to rule and dates back to the tense years after her 1893 overthrow.

Many slack key masters have recorded the queen's works, from the legendary Gabby Pahinui in the 1960s to Dennis Kamakahi more recently. Add to this prestigious list To Honor a Queen: E Ho'ohiwahiwa I Ka Mo'i Wahine, a fine new album by slack key guitarist and teacher Ozzie Kotani.

To Honor a Queen offers Ozzie's original arrangements of 14 of the queen's compositions, from well-known classics to rarities that are seldom recorded. All blend the queen's gift for melody with slack key's smooth, flowing grace. Since Ozzie doesn't sing, he focuses on the music rather than the richly veiled poetry for which Lili'uokalani is celebrated. Still, like all good instrumentalists, he keeps the lyrics in mind as he plays.

Because he sometimes uses mellow-sounding nylon strings rather than the ringing steel more common in slack key, Ozzie often gets mistaken for a classical guitarist. In fact, his roots stem from slack key giants Keola Beamer and Sonny Chillingworth. With interesting harmonies, subtle improvisation and softly driving bass, his traditional yet personal style works gentle magic with the queen's tunes. As KINE-FM DJ Frank B. Shaner says, "What you hear on this extraordinary CD is a slack key master, a local boy born and raised in the Islands. His music strikes at the soul of your being."

Producer George Winston says that when he first thought of an entire album of the queen's music, Ozzie immediately came to mind. "He's my favorite instrumental interpreter of her music," he says. Characteristically, Ozzie shifts the focus back to the source. "May Lili'uokalani's memory and music live on and be appreciated forever," he says.

With albums such as this, the legacy remains secure.

To Honor a Queen:
E Ho'ohiwahiwa I Ka Mo'i Wahine
by Ozzie Kotani
Dancing Cat Records
produced by George Winston; 2002

Hawaiian 105 KINE is the main source of information for this column.

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