Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Music | November/December 2001

Adventures in Dining
By Ozzie Kotani

Music Mana'o-Style Aloha

The innovative sound of The Mana'o Company returns with a CD that reaches out to a new generation of listeners

Following a nine-year hiatus, The Mana'o Company has come out with a new CD, Spread a Little Aloha, that demonstrates a solid blend of musicianship and a repertoire that has grown beyond its established place in the "Today's Island Music" genre.

From 1989 to 1992, with two smash-hit albums, Just Beyond the Ridge and
True Inspiration, The Mana'o Company was instrumental in developing the revolutionary "Jawaiian" sound, featuring reggae-inspired rhythms. In late '92, the group took a long break, with some members pursuing other interests.

Now The Mana'o Company is back, with a reconfigured group composition-Danny Kennedy, Salaam Tillman, John Baricuatro Jr., Weldon Kekauoha and Kaulana Pakele-and an album that promises to be as big a hit as the first
two CDs.

Spread a Little Aloha boasts several standout tracks: "Sweet Reggae Woman," a song that falls right into the groove that is so popular today and shows how far the band has taken its music; and the remixing of its 1989 hit, "96 Degrees in the Shade," which showcases a fresh and innovative approach to the old classic. The CD also features other major vocal talents, including Keali'i Reichel, Fiji, Damon Williams and Ho'onu'a, as well as a great back-up horn section.

Three of the youngest contributors are nephews of Kennedy's-Caleb and Micah Keolanui and J.P. Kennedy, who share their glowing talents in singing, songwriting, rapping and 'ukulele playing on "Driving Me Crazy." You could say they represent TMC's next generation.

The album's concept is best expressed by the song "Aloha," whose lyrics give the CD its title. "That's the way we feel about Hawai'i, and the way we wish the entire world felt," says Kennedy, the composer of the song and the group's band leader. "We invited our friends [to be] special guests on the project, because it showcases some of the guys we grew up with in the business and some of the young guys we've become friends with-a direct reflection of the title of our CD, Spread a Little Aloha."

In fact, the song's message is so uplifting that Aloha Airlines is using it as the theme for a major promotional campaign launched in October.

It also expresses Kennedy's feeling about The Mana'o Company's newest effort: "Now that we're up and running again and blessed with support from many local communities, we take time to appreciate every little thing-the fun on stage, the fun in the studio, and the relationships we build with the people who enjoy not only our music, but our sound and our effort." A nice way for a group to return.

Spread a Little Aloha by The Mana'o Company; Dan-Pa Productions and A Guava Ding Thing; Danny Kennedy, Dave Tucciarone and TMC, producers; 2001.

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