If you want to listen to awesome music from the group that left their mark on Hawaiian music, definitely give “Best of Pure Heart” a try! Recommended!
Back in 1999, three young guys in their early 20’s bursted into the Hawaiian music scene as the group, Pure Heart.
The group consisted of ukulele musician Jake Shimabukuro, acoustic guitar/vocalist Jon Yamasato and percussionist Lopaka Colon, Jr..
That same year, the group won five Hoku HanoHano Awards (Hawaii’s equivalent to the Grammy) including “Album of the Year” and the group would go on to have three albums titled “Pure Heart”, “Pure Heart 2” and “Pure Heart 2.5 Christmas”.
Despite being extremely popular, Jon Yamasato retired from music and pursued his education to complete his college degree. While the trio discussed their goals when they first became a group and it was Yamasato’s intention to go to college, both Shimabukuro and Colon supposedly learned of Yamasato leaving the group from friends who read the news on a newspaper article.
While the duo tried to continue with Palolo member Guy Cruz replacing Yamasato and Andrew McLellan on bass, instead of continuing as Pure Heart, the group changed their name to Colon and even won a Hoku Award in 2001.
But things happen for a reason and Jake Shimabukuro would become one of the world’s reknown ukulele music artist, Lopaka Colon Jr., would go on to play with Hawaii’s top musicians and Jon Yamasato, who returned to music three months after quitting Pure Heart in 1999 to release his first solo album and has performed with numerous groups and also Herb Ohta, Jr.
As for Pure Heart, despite how the group abruptly ended, the group still gather together to perform, with a reunion performance o Hi*Sessions in 2015 and a reunion concert back in 2017 and even Lopaka Colon, Jr. and Jon Yamasato teaming up for the band Iron Mango with Maunalua’s Richard Gideon and ukulele artist Kalei Gamiao.
Recently, there has been discussion of possible reunion of Pure Heart as revealed on an August 11, 2020 Zoom chat for Ukulele Friends Hawai’i.
Which is great news!
But what I found surprising is finding a release on Amazon titled “Best of Pure Heart” available digitally.
The timing of this release is wonderful, but also for the fact that any access to the original Pure Heart CD’s are difficult.
The 16 tracks are from the group’s two albums (nothing from the 2.5 Christmas album).
Tracks featured are:
- Bring Me Your Cup (from “Pure Heart”)
- How Can I Get Over (from “Pure Heart 2”)
- Wipeout (from “Pure Heart 2”)
- Crazy Without You (from “Pure Heart”)
- Come On Let’s Go (from “Pure Heart 2”)
- Jake’s Prelude (from “Pure Heart”)
- Europa (from “Pure Heart”)
- You Came Into My Life (from “Pure Heart”)
- Hey Baby (from “Pure Heart”)
- Happy ‘ukulele (from “Pure Heart 2”)
- Green Rose Hula (from “Pure Heart”)
- Tokada (from “Pure Heart 2”)
- Molokai Sweet Home (from “Pure Heart”)
- Jus’ Press (from “Pure Heart”)
- Mr. Sun Cho Lee (from “Pure Heart”)
- Bodysurfing (from “Pure Heart 2”)
For the most part, you get the group’s well-known songs from their two albums but if anything, getting access to their music which has been difficult to obtain and was unavailable for 20 years.
Personally, all songs on this album are fantastic. My favorites being “Bring Me Your Cup”, “Europa”, “Tokada”, “Jus’ Press”, surf music with “Wipeout” and “Bodysurfing” and also a cover of the popular “Mr. Sun Cho Lee” originally sung by Keola and Kapono Beamer and many more!
If you want to listen to awesome music from the group that left their mark on Hawaiian music, definitely give “Best of Pure Heart” a try!
Recommended!
