Kawaipunahele

Album Review

After being discovered at a karaoke competition in the mid-90s, Keali'i Reichel rose quickly to the highest pinnacles of Hawaiian superstardom. His first album, Kawaipunahele, is already a Hawaiian classic. Locals from Honolulu to Kaunakakai own a copy of the album, radio stations play the songs incessantly, and any tourist who sets foot in a music store is likely to walk out with the CD. Reichel goes for the tried-and-true formula: mellow songs, tropical island stylings and sweet, piping Hawaiian vocal tones. A lot of these songs are reminiscent of former Top 40 hits from the mainland, but only a few of them are actually covers. A couple of notable cover tunes are "In My Life," a Beatles tune which has had a Hawaiian verse added, and "If We Hold On Together," which is performed as a duet with Lorna Lim. Most of the songs have Hawaiian lyrics that are completely unintelligible, but it really doesn't matter. They all talk about the same things: romance, friendship, and the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. It's nearly impossible to find this album offensive or intrusive. The lyrics are strictly PG-rated, the music is pretty, and the tone remains even-keel throughout. Like as not, that is why the album has become one of the ‘must-have' albums for visitors to Hawaii. ~ L. Katz, All Music Guide