“The Best of Hui Ohana” is a wonderful album for those wanting to get into Hui Ohana with their traditional Hawaiian music with cool vocals, cool slack-key guitar playing and music. But also, wanting to experience a group who was in the forefront of the Hawaiian Music Renaissance of the 1970s.
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BAND: Hui Ohana
ALBUM: The Best of Hui Ohana
DURATION: 16 Songs (52 Minutes)
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1988
1 Sweet Lei Mokihana
2 Lei Nani
3 ‘Ulupalakua
4 Silver Strings
5 Pua Lililehua
6 Nani Waimea
7 (Love Song) Of Kalua
8 Aloha Ie O Wai’anae
9 Naka Pueo
10 Poni Aloha
11 Nanakuli
12 Maui Chimes
13 U’i Lani
14 God Bless My Daddy/Mom
15 Pua Maeole
16 Pua Ahihi
When it comes to Hawaiian bands, one that is considered legendary is Hui Ohana (band of family members).
The band consisted of twin brothers, Ledward and Nedward Ka’apana and their Portuguese-Hawaiian cousin Dennis Pavao (who’s uncle was slack-key master Fred Punahoa). Ledward is known for his fast slack-key guitar playing, Nedward played the electric bass, while Dennis is known for his falsetto vocals and also plays guitar.
The three grew up in a small black sand bay village of Kalapana (which was destroyed by the 1986 volcanic eruption of Kilauea, and again in 2010). But the Ka’apana’s were a musical family and they would say that they had no electricity, no television and not much radio, so they had to entertain themselves.
But because of their upbringing and their appreciation towards traditional Hawaiian music, that love is felt in their vocals and music playing.
The band is known for their slack key guitar style, singing Hawaiian melodies but also falsetto vocals (ka leo ki’eki’e). But also one of the bands leading the Hawaiian music renaissance (a resurgence of a distinct cultural identity upon traditional kanaka maoli (native Hawaiian) culture and divergence from the tourism-based culture which Hawai’i is known worldwide) and reviving Hawaiian music.
And the trio were a major success for Hawai’i and would release a total of 14 albums from 1972 to 1978 and disbanded, to reunite once again in the ’80s and ’90s. The group would not reunite since the passing of Dennis Pavao in January 2002.
I do not understand Hawaiian, nor am I born from Hawai’i, despite having family and friends that live there but I have enjoyed Hawaiian culture (not the tourist type of offerings) and music for a long time and Hui Ohana is a group I gravitate to because their music is pure, their music is Hawaiian and songs from men who grew up with not much but entertaining each other. The young singing the songs of the old and this has always been their mission.
The reason why I purchased both “The Best of Hui Ohana I” and “The Best of Hui Ohana II” is because not knowing which of the 14 albums to get, I wanted to get a collection of their best songs compiled into an album.
But having other Hui Ohana albums, I do know that my favorites such as “Nani Waimea”, “Sweet Lei Mokihana”, “‘Ulupalakua”, “Pua Lilehua” are on this album.
But for the most part, you get 16 solid tracks, most in Hawaiian, maybe one instrumental and one song sung in English. But “The Best of Hui Ohana” is a wonderful album for those wanting to get into Hui Ohana with their traditional Hawaiian music with cool vocals, cool slack-key guitar playing and music. But also, wanting to experience a group who was in the forefront of the Hawaiian Music Renaissance of the 1970s.
