Wayne Harada of The Honolulu Advertiser calls the music "Traditional Hawaiian performed with a contemporary twist." He goes on to say that "Lopaka (as Kaumakaiwa is widely known) has ancestral ties to island music; his great-grandmother was the eminent hula and chant chiefess, Edith Kanaka‘ole; his grandmother is Pualani Kanahele, revered kumu hula (hula master) and Hawaiiana expert; his mother is Kekuhi Kanahele, a distinguished singer-composer in her own right. So he has a lot of tradition to uphold, yet he is framing his own destiny with a style that bridges the past with the future." Harada goes on to declare this debut CD a "wondrous, satisfying excursion into (Lopaka's) ‘ohana (family)" and "a stunning debut," calling the artist "one to watch, now and in the future." Information concerning all the songs, and lyrics and translations for most, are included.
Album Titles:
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