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Music Style - Slack Key
If you do not have any Gabby Pahinui in your Hawaiian Music Collection, then you are missing
out on one of the most admired and talented Hawaiian Artists of all time. Gabby is
commonly referred to as the best slack key guitar player of all time. When you put on this
classic CD from 1972, you will quickly understand why. Unlike other sites that review CD's, our
reviews tend to focus on CD's that everyone should have as part of their collection. Gabby
certainly falls into this category. In fact, I believe that most Hawaiians will
agree with me when I say every Gabby CD (including this one) is a classic and you will want
to pick up several.
Gabby is more commonly known as the Brown Album. Its hard for me to say that it
is my favorite Gabby Pahinui CD, because I love all the Gabby CD's and albums that I own.
However, the Brown Album and the Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band Vol 1 certainly
rank as 2 of my most listened to CD's.
The Brown Album contains many of Gabby's most recognized mele's. One of Gabby's
most popular songs is Hi'ilawe. This CD starts with an early rendition of this
song recorded by Gabby in 1947 and ends with a version recorded in 1972. The 1947 version
was Gabby's first recording at age 26. Hi'ilawe
has to be one of most cherished Hawaiian mele's of all time. It picks me up whenever I hear
the incredible guitar strumming. Gabby's voice seems to capture the spirit of Hawaii.
Even today when I hear Gabby's son, Cyril, play this
mele I get chills. Cyril sounds a lot like his Dad.
Wow, I am already on my forth paragraph and I have only described one song. You can see I
have a real passion for Gabby's music. Some of the other classics on this CD include Luau Hula,
He'eia, Lei Nani, and Ka Moa'e and several others that were recorded with
the legendary 'Atta' Isaacs and 'Joe Gang' Kapahu. You'll love the conversations between them
at the end of Ka Moa'e. Gabby's sons Cyril, Bla, Philip, and Martin are also featured
on the CD. All share the incredible music talent of their father and have many recordings of their
own that are wonderful.
One thing that you will quickly notice when you put on this CD is how it lifts your spirits.
Gabby Pahinui slack key is spirited and fun. You can't help being in a great mood when you listen
to this CD. The way the Gabby, Atta, Joe Gang, and Gabby's sons blend their instruments
into perfect harmony is beyond description. It has to be experienced.
Sadly, Gabby passed away in 1980, but through his CD's his music lives on. If you want to
know more about Gabby, I would recommend Jonathon Wong's Gabby Pahinui Tribute
website.
The CD contains the following:
This is a 5 coconut CD, a 'must' addition to your Hawaiian Music collection. This CD
is available from one of the retailers
on our Sources of Tapes & CD's page.
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5 Coconuts - These CD's are must have CD's that every Hawaiian Music fan should have in their collection. They are classics that you will play over and over for years. The quality of the music is excellent. |
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4 Coconuts - These CD's are highly recommended. Although they are not necessarily classics, most Hawaiian Music Fans will really enjoy them. |
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3 Coconuts - These are CD's that some people will love, but others will not care for as much. Overall, though, they contain good quality music and are a nice addition to your collection. |
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2 Coconuts - These are good CD's, but won't appeal to everyone. |
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1 Coconut - These CD's would only appeal to a small percentage of people... like the artist's auntie ;-) |
Because a large percentage of our e-mail are requests for CD recommendations, our reviews will typically focus on CD's ranked 4 and 5 coconuts, with a few 3 coconut CD's sprinkled in.