Stories — Track

I've been craving this culture for so long, it's a shock to be submersed in it again. Yup, I'm back in Hawaii and it's sun, sun, sun! And Hawaiian music, all kines. True, much of Hawaii's culture is wide out in the open: hula dancing, surfing, ukuleles, the shaka. But dig a little deeper and you'll find people willing to share a part of paradise that so many miss out on. I recently walked through the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center to take photos of people wearing Aloha Shirts. I came across were two men casually performing music outside of an...

...and it was inevitable. Ever since I heard that 30-second clip of Lui Williams' "Oh, Oh (Think I'm Falling in Love)", I had a sense that the rest of the song would be just as enjoyable (and, at 3 minutes 45 seconds, much more gratifying). It's possible that Lui dubbed his own vocals for the chorus, but my best guess is...he didn't. The recording sounds entirely live, so a sideman probably backed him up. (I don't own the LP or CD, nor do I have the liner notes.) Still can't get enough of the near-constant guitar riffing that makes the...

What is soul? It's hard to pinpoint, even when so many artists past and present have given Soul an everlasting place in music. "Soul can mean anything, depending on who you're talking to". True. But can a single song be so soulful that it demands further interpretation from artists across the music spectrum? I believe it. Jackson 5's "All I Do Is Think Of You" laments with such generous amounts of bittersweet compassion that any listener should feel chills when hearing this song. It's not just Michael Jackson's wailing, heartfelt voice, or the swaying orchestration, or the synthesizers that sound...

Kuiokalani Lee was by no means a jazz or funk musician, but his music poured directly from the soul. A singer/songwriter whose compositions helped launch the career of Don Ho, as well as bridge the gap between traditional Hawaiian and pop music, Lee gave us what are his only recorded performances on The Extraordinary Kui Lee. The album was released just days before he died at age 34. "I'll Remember You", Lee's biggest hit, boasts a long list of covers (the most well-known performed by—well, just google it.) One of the grooviest renditions? Gotta be Aura's. In a clever twist,...

Since my interview with Toshi, whose label Cool Sound reissued an album by Aura, I've been meaning to post my own videos of Aura's music... but why wait if someone else has one up? Here's an outstanding track about love lost, called "Yesterday's Love". It gives me chills to listen to! Her voice is so innocent, longing, and sad. Maybe it's the lyrics that add that extra touch of sorrow? (BTW, I understand songs better when I write out the lyrics. Some lines might be wrong, though). Dig the funky bass lines, breakdown with hand claps, massive horns, and a...