Stories — Track

I should've seen it coming, but this surprised me: the original 1977 music video for "Lihue" by Nohelani Cypriano. Thanks to Hawaiian music collector Yoshi—whose initial upload of Brandon Bray & Brown Spice performing "Polynesian Girl" brought Ron Jacob's KKUA Home Grown TV series to life on the web—Nohelani and Dennis Graue's "Lihue" music video from 35 years ago finally finds its place in Internet history. "We think this young lady is gonna be an emerging star of the future. Look at her now as she performs 'Lihue'". —Ron Jacobs An emerging star... In 1980, Nohe won Female Vocalist of...

Summer is just around the corner for most of you, the sun gradually warming the earth and breaking those spring clouds and rains away. In Hawaii, it's almost always summer. Which means anytime is the the perfect time to celebrate sunny weather. Right now sounds good.     Enjoy the sunshine with this track by The Aliis: a medley of three tunes, "Keep the Customer Satisfied", "Didn't We", and "Summer Sun". What's your favorite Hawaiian track to celebrate the summertime?

"You're My Fantasy" by Tender Leaf Beauty strikes hardest in its purest form. Tender Leaf is the perfect example. Back when life was simpler, a group of friends got together to create music. That group, led by Murray Compoc Spencer and Darryl Valdez, found joy in jamming acoustic guitars and writing songs together, eventually entering the studio with the help of producer Kit Ebersbach. The resulting Tender Leaf LP—the only songs the band ever recorded—is now a legendary free soul album sought by collectors of rare groove and AOR music. (Cool Sound/Cool Hawaii reissued the album in Japan). In conclusion,...

"Babe I Want You" by Hal Bradbury If you've been longing for a heavy tune from Hal Bradbury—his previous efforts featured on Aloha Got Soul have been smooth, laid-back, and jazzy—this is it. Sexy, groovy, dancefloor-ready: "Babe I Want You" is ripe for the arsenal of the modern-day, crate-digging DJ, whose turntables crave that obscure rare groove record no one's heard yet (well, no one else but DJ Muro.) Go ahead, give it a spin! Listen to more music by Hal Bradbury here.

"You Send Me" by Hal Bradbury This song is almost too good to be true, just like that feeling you get when you know you're with the love of your life. Hal Bradbury thrills us with "You Send Me", a smooth, modern soul jam that's not-so-heavy on the synth or drums or guitar riff—which is a good thing. The instrumentation leaves enough room for Hal's voice to captivate, but the music still grooves enough to keep you nodding all the way through. Slow jam? Maybe. Whatever you call it, keep this tune in your pocket of favorite Hawaiian soul tunes....