Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 7, 1 July 1998 — Whee-Ha! Hawaiian Falsetto Stylings of Keao [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Whee-Ha! Hawaiian Falsetto Stylings of Keao

By Manu Boyd Wbether singing for hinialaPolpsianCultural Center promotion, .

or for a hilt house at Punani'sinDownlown Honoiulu. Papakōlea'sKeao Costa, lias caught

the attention of producers who have hamessed his lalenl in this.

his debut CD release, "Whee-Ha!" AMONG RECENT recordings from the Mountain Apple Company's Pālehua Studio is "WheeHa!," a collection of

■ ■ classics by on< ofHawai'i's youngest and brightest talents, Keao Costa. Comprised of songs from the collection of Aunty Vickie Ti ■ Rodrieues and 8

other notables, eaeh isper-

formed m traditional "leo ki'eki'e" or falseUo, technique popular īn Hawaiian music for generatiores. Few young singers have excelled in the style made popuiar by the likes of Mahi Beamer, Genoa Keawe, : Kekua Femandez, Klhei Brown and the Ho'opi'i Brothers, except for a handfull including Keao, and the nroiect's nroducer. Tonv Coniusacion.

From the very first cut, " Hapa 'Hikini" Keao . shows his abilitv in transportine listeners back in

time to such Hawaiian music hot spots as the Barefoot Bar at Queen's Surf, the old Halekūlani, or Watertown, where falsetto legi ends Sam Bemard together with the late Dar- ■ rell Lupenui and Kekua Femandez iaspired many. The unmistakable "cha-lang-a-lang" piano stylings of Aunty Leila Hohu Kī'aha adds beau- ; tifully to Keao's Kaua'i medley of "Hanalei

: Bay " and "Ka Ua Loku ." Lena Machado's "Nu 'uanu Hula" fills the air with the fragrance of ginger while Edith Kanaka'ole's "Pua Melie" recalls I the plumeria.

Of the projects musical mood, producer . Tony Conjugacion sums it up best saying, "Sit k back, bus' out the coolers, bring out the ■ pupus, and have a 'Whee Ha!' time." ■ :

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