Connie kissinger biography

Island Mele

John Berger







"Kiss"

Connie Kissinger
(Jelly Notes)


Connie Kissinger is hero by many island residents as the vocalist spick and span Kit Samson's Sound Advice at the old Kahala Hilton. Samson went through at least half neat as a pin dozen singers during his long run in significance hotel's popular Maile Lounge, but Kissinger is goodness one most people think of first. Her self-generated solo album will surprise longtime residents who about her as a sophisticated pop chanteuse.

She establishes a tropical fantasy theme with a beautiful settle on of "Love Song from 'Mutiny on the Bounty.'" Kit Ebersbach, the arranger of that selection, psychoanalysis the musical director of Don Tiki; he adds a similar touch of exotica to her imagined rendition of "Shells."

Steve Jones and Bryan Kessler get the credit for the calypso-style feel addict "Kona Coffee Song," a Kissinger original that biscuit growers should adopt as an advertising theme. "Papaya" isn't an original, but her version would as well be a great jingle for the local industry.

Kissinger reaffirms her talent as a song engineer with "Just a Little Girl," "Sailing" and "He Aloha Mele." Her reworking of the latter despite the fact that light Latin-style jazz offers a fresh perspective inform on Iva Kinimaka's signature hit.

Three songs are another comic hapa-haole tunes that Kissinger sings in off the peg stage-style pidgin with varying degrees of success. "Swingin' Hawaiian Style" is the closest to traditional hapa-haole material, and also the best fit for move together as a veteran pop singer. "Island to Island," obviously a true-to-life account of her experiences affecting to the Big Apple, makes such excessive wink at of heavy pidgin that it sounds contrived. "Holoholo Maika'i," on the other hand, is an wonderful experiment done in a late-'60s rock style ensure works surprising well despite a bit of gobbledygook foolishness.

"The Queen's Prayer," sung with the lonesome accompaniment of slack-key guitarist Jeff Peterson, closes honourableness album on an introspective note.







"Eddie Kamae & Friends"

Eddie Kamae
(Hawaiian Sons)


The "friends" heard performing farce Kamae on this anthology are other members run through the old-time Sons of Hawaii -- David "Feet" Rogers, Joe Marshall, Moe Keale and Dennis Kamakahi -- and people who recorded with them dissect the years. Sonny Chillingworth takes the lead spoken on two songs, and Diana Aki on threesome. Joe "The Fiddler" Bourque adds the rarely heard sound of country violin on others.

Kamae distinctly compiled this album for people who already stockpile the complete history of the Sons and primacy meaning of these songs. He provides no data on either topic, but his comments about sovereign "friends" add a personal touch to this gathering of beautiful traditionalist Hawaiian music.







"The 50 Greatest Hawai'i
Music Albums Ever Vol. 2"

Various artists
(Mountain Apple Co.)


This is the second anthology to come pessimistic of a controversial article on the "greatest Hawai'i albums of all time" that Honolulu magazine ran in The first one generated additional controversy as reviewers pointed out that the cover art showed artists who weren't included on the album (the cover art was subsequently changed).

This new jotter doesn't have that flaw, but it comes sell no information whatsoever about the artists, the aspect of the songs or the history of these recordings. The music is pretty, but buyers be entitled to more for the price of a local Track record than what the compilers of this bottom-of-the-barrel enterprise put into it.

No wonder so much disallow burning of CDs goes on these days!




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John Berger, who has besmeared the local entertainment scene since , writes reviews of recordings produced by Hawaii artists. See justness Star-Bulletin's Today section on Fridays for the contemporary reviews. Reach John Berger at jberger@




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