Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Music | November/December 2002

Music
By Ozzie Kotani

Backyard Musical Memories

In Hawaiian Memories, the women of Na Leo Pilimehana share the music that is close to their hearts

Listening to Na Leo Pilimehana's latest release, Hawaiian Memories, is bound to awaken feelings of nostalgia in all of us who grew up in Hawai'i. This very personal project provides glimpses into the family backgrounds of Angela Morales, Lehua Kalima Heine and Nalani Choy-the women who make up the award-winning Na Leo trio-and allows us to enjoy with them the music that is close to their hearts. The album is composed of old family favorites that have been selected with a finesse that comes only with sharing music closely together through so many years.

Says radio personality Frank B. Shaner of KINE-FM: "This particular CD-considering the long history of great recordings the girls have put out-is very special. It takes you back to the Golden Age of Hawaiian Music, evoking images of lei, tourists, hula dancers and cruise liners like the Lurline."

A lively rendition of a traditional Hawaiian song, "Kahakuloa," opens the album. It's followed by fresh arrangements of other favorites like "Ku'u One Hanau," "Kona Kai 'Opua," "Hilo Hula" (written by Lehua Heine's grandfather, Joseph Kalima) and the exquisite "Manu 'O'o."

Na Leo's tight harmonies ring true in every selection, but the women's solo numbers also shine. Lehua Heine's touching composition for her daughter, "Ku'u Sweet Lei Makamae," expresses a mother's special relationship with her child. Nalani Choy honors her mother in Helen Desha Beamer's beautiful song, "Kawohikukapulani," written for the composer's daughter upon the occasion of her marriage. And Angela Morales does a great rendition of "Nani 'o Wai'anae" by Manu Boyd, Robbie Cabral and Ken Makuakane.

This, Na Leo's 14th CD, truly brings the group home to the Islands. As Angela Morales explains: "Hawaiian Memories features songs that remind us of our childhood years, where we'd be at family parties in the back yard, laughing, dancing hula and singing. We wanted to celebrate those times through song and hopefully we're helping others do the same, bringing back their special memories to be relived all over again."

Hawaiian Memories by Na Leo Pilimehana; NLP Music Inc.; distributed by The Mountain Apple Co.; 2002.

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

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