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Music Style - Primarily Contemporary Hawaiian Music
Every once in a while there is a CD that comes out that I consider a hidden gem. Keni's
debut album from 1998 is this type of album.
When I first received the CD, I didn't know much about Keni. It didn't take long for me
to get hooked on his music. In fact this was one of the CD's that I played the most
during the last year. Keni
shows his range of talent by performing a wide variety of music types from soothing
love songs to the fast paced Jawaiian title cut. This is primarily
a contemporary Hawaiian album, but Keni also plays some traditional Hawaiian Music. His
falsetto in the traditional Ku'uipo I Ka He'e'Pu'e One is absolutely beautiful.
The title cut U Da Kine that opens the CD is probably one of the most recognizable cuts on the CD.
This song is a catchy Jawaiian tune that even features Fiji doing some Hawaiian Rap. After
this song, the pace of the music really slows down to the relaxing contemporary music that
Keni excels at. Keni has an excellent vocal range and his falsetto's are wonderful.
If you are like me, you'll find yourself singing along to most of the cuts of the CD.
Kipona Aloha and So Very Hard to Go are 2 of my favorite tunes on the CD. These
are catchy, yet relaxing, 'Top 40' style contemporary tunes that I find
myself turning up the volume on as I cruise around in my car. Pualilia is a touching song
about a man's love for a woman. With words including 'Like timeless waves forever
returning to the shore, I will love you more and more', some of you may find your eyes tearing up.
Probably my favorite song on the CD is Darcie's Lullaby in which Keni sings about a Daddy's love for his
little girl. This song was very touching to me because my little girl holds a special place in
my heart.
I am looking forward to more CD's by Keni. It will be interesting to see what musical styles
this talented artist will try in the future. I especially hope he continues to perform
his soothing love songs and adds some more traditional Hawaiian meles to his next project
(I love those falsettos!).
Island Heat records has granted us permission to play some sound bits from this CD. Click
on the real audio link below to hear small cuts of Kipona Aloha, Ku'uipo I Ka He'e' Pu'e One,
Darcie's Lullaby, and the title cut U Da Kine.
For those of you in Southern California, Keni is currently living in the San Diego area and can
often be seen playing around town
at locations such as Seau's (owned by Junior Seau of the San Diego Chargers).
For more information about Keni, visit the
Keni website.
Click here to Listen to a sample of 'U Da Kine'
(requires the free Real Audio Player installed on your PC)
The CD contains the following:
This is a 4 coconut CD, an excellent addition to your Hawaiian Music collection.
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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.