
“Keoki Kahumoku raises the bar and glows anew…”
-Wayne Harada, Honolulu Advertiser
“Keoki Kahumoku… among the 10 artists who make up the
‘Slack Key Guitar Volume 2’ album that took the first-ever Grammy
Award
for best Hawaiian music album.”-Maui News
Also part of 2005 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Compilation album of the year: Various Artists —
"Hula! Big Island Style"(Palm), Charles Michael Brotman, producer
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-or- Daniel Ho Creations
Liner Notes...
"Rise & Shine"
by Keoki Kahumoku; Daniel Ho Creations
Kahumoku in Hawaiian means “Priest of the Island.” It must be in my blood,
as it has always been my passion to farm, hunt and care for the ‘aina,
or land.
Music has also been an important part of the Kahumoku family, passed on
to me by my grandparents, parents, uncles, aunties, and cousins. I’ve
always
been thankful for these gifts, but never so thankful as I am today. As
the
‘aina has nourished my ‘ohana with “ono grindz” and “good fun,” music
has
nourished my soul and supported our family.
Until recently, I treated music like a hobby. I was never really sure
how to
make a living out of it. Then the signs came. I wasn’t part of just one
Grammy-winning Hawaiian Music CD, but TWO! This should have been a big
hint to concentrate more on the music, but I didn’t do much about it.
The most humbling experience, though, happened one night as I was doing
my part in tending to the ‘aina. As I was skinning a pua‘a (pig) I
caught earlier that week, I slit my right hand and severed most of my
fingers. It scared everyone, including me! Would I still be able to use
my hand? Would I fully recover? Months have passed and the movement and
feeling in my middle three fingers is slowly returning. It puts things
into perspective when I think about how close I came to losing my
fingers completely.
I recorded this album with Daniel right after we won Hawai‘i’s second
Grammy. It was before my pig-skinning accident, and I played the songs
with a renewed determination to make music a priority. As my hand
continues to heal, I can only hope that I will be able to play guitar
the way that I used to--and better. The ‘aina will always be mine to
malama, or care for. But most important is the music, for which I am now
so eternally grateful.
aloha, Keoki “Liko” Kahumoku
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-or- Daniel Ho Creations
Review by
Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
"Liko"
by Keoki Kahumoku; Daniel Ho Creations
Genre: Contemporary Hawaiian, ki ho'alu, 'ukulele and a hint
of blues.Distinguishing notes:
Keoki Kahumoku is one of his generation's masters of the stroke and the
voice. This outing contains a mixture of his own creations ("Hunt'n Brown
Dog," "Aloha Sunday Stroll," "Take Dis An' Dat"), which show off his wit
and wonderment about Island living, and some special interpretations of
established favorites such as Keola Beamer's "Real Old Style." Slack-key
fans will find joy in his "Slack Key Circle Song" and "Blues Slack Key,"
which demonstrate his confidence and signify his ability to take risks,
fusing his Hawaiian roots with more contemporary elements.
The outlook:
This is Kahumoku's most
enchanting endeavor yet.
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