Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 5, 1 May 1998 — Music that inspires [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Music that inspires

i ByManuBoyd ,

ALOHA KEKAHI I Kekahi," meaning "love one another," is the CD by one the islands' newest recording artists who presides over Waiola Church in Lahaina (see related story on p. 10). Kahu Kekapa Lee loves to sing and play the 'ukulele, and he encourages as mueh music as possible in his ministry. Not since Del Beazley's "Onefor

Akua " has a eom-

prehensive eolleehon of Hawaiian hymns been released. And while

hymns are not ■ at the forefront of loeal 1 radio air play, 1 Kahu Kekapa ' Lee's release

Kekahi" gives traditional Hawaiian hymns new flavor, earning him a spot on the Nā Hōkū Hanohano

Awards final ballot. Steel guitar, piano, acoustic guitar, strings and vocal arrangements transform classics like " 'Ekolu Mea Nui " and "Iesu Nō Ke Kahuhipa," with contemporary flair more appealing to a broader audience. Randie Kamuela Fong's "Na Iehova Nō I Hana" is a tribute to Akua and acknowledges the splendor of our islands. It employs images of verdant forests, light rain and high cliffs, all typieal in Hawaiian poetry, and was taught to Kahu Lee by choir members ffom Kawaiaha'o Church. • The album opens with "Oli Aloha" (onaona i ka hala), a perennial favorite penned

by Aunty Nona Beamer, and ends with the classic "Hawai'i Aloha" by "Laiana" (Lorenzo Lyons), the American missionary fluent in Hawaiian who composed and translated scores of hymns. All proceeds from the CD will go to Waiola Church, and its hale hālāwai currently under construction. Produced by Kapa Kuiki Records, the CD cover features a traditional 'ulu (breadfruit) quilt pattern, a symbol of growth and inspiration. After nearly four years of writing, arranging, rearranging, recording, mixing and producing, Zanuck Kapala Lindsey released his debut CD, " For Every Heart," a tapestry of emotions, experiences and expres-

sions. The Pauoa-born Hawaiian is a hard worker and | has spent the last 20 years developing skills, learning the < ropes and otherwise polishing himself into a top-notch ', musician. But his expressions aren't in Hawaiian. He J describes his niehe as a blend of adult contemporary, * R&B, soul — in the spiritual rather than gospel sense. , His musical taste runs the gamut from traditional Hawai- | ian to the Beetles. < < ZANUCK LINDSEY graduated from Kamehameha ' in 1977 and ventured off to California, where he 1 began planting seeds that would eventually blossom | into a career rooted in discipline and spirituality. ' Lindsey majored in music with an emphasis on gui- > tar, graduating from CalState Northridge in Los Angeles. , Besides guitar, he eventually studied voice with L. A. j eoaeh Ron Anderson, whom he calls a "voice saver," as < well as Kaimukī-based Neva Rego, who teach the bel , canto vocal style. Zanuck Lindsey is a tenor with a ' wide range allowing for great dynamics. < Stand-outs on the recording include " Dream With the ' Angels," composed for his late mother, Wanda Lindsey, 1 and the title cut, "For Every Heart," a sort of anthem that brims with love, hope and encouragemerit. "Remember the Love," inspired by a break-up, is a positive take on an otherwise melancholv

situation. In 1989, "Heat of the Night," won him national aeelaim when he beat out all of the Western regional eompetitors to become a

■ finalist in a nation-wide p songwriting contest sponf sored by Budweiser and | Capital Records. His entire | family flew to L.A. to share his honor. Lindsev's "cross-over"

treatment of the "Hawaiian Wedding Song " is getting lots of airplay these days. Co- ' arranged with project producer Mark Matson, the recording of the internationally known song is fresh and , palatable to contemporary tastes. ] "Music is a full-time job for me," remarked Lindsey. ■ "The amount of time invested in learning the profession, developing talent and overall commitment is like any other profession, but musicians don't always get the respect they deserve." Although Zanuck Lindsey has his eyes fixed on nahonal and international endeavors, he remains deeply committed to his island roots. "The amount of raw talent in Hawai'i is awesome," he said. "Every loeal kid grows up with a song in his soul." ■

In their recent recording debuts, Lahaina's Kekapa Lee and Panoa-born Zanuck Kapala Lindsey released CDs that are worlds apart, yet both showcase... j

"Aloha Kekahi I