Search - HAPA :: Namahana

Hawaii in Your Ears, Your Eyes, Your Heart

David | San Diego, CA USA | 05/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So you would like to vacation Hawaii, eh? My wife and I just returned from Kauai'i. We rented a Ford Mustang convertible while we were there, one with a CD player. We purchased "Namahana" from an outdoor vendor in Princeville. With the beauty of the Garden Island all around us and Hapa to complete the fantasy ... WOW! This album is terrific! Follow our lead. You will be forever happy that you did. Aloha"

Serenity and beauty

Dennis! | Washington, DC USA | 11/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hapa sure didn't miss a beat with this album either. Having grown up in Hawai'i, I was excited to find Hapa's debut album at a local CD shop here on the east coast, and fell in love with it. When I returned home on vacation a few years later, of course, I *had* to pick up their subsequent work. It doesn't disappoint. I also gave a copy to a buddy of mine as a Christmas gift, and he loves it even though he's never even been to the Aloha State.Barry and Keli'i have put together a wonderful set of tracks that embodies and embraces the beauty of Hawai'i. Pop it in, close your eyes, and relax. You can't possibly still be stressed with this music in the background. I have spent countless nights lulled to sleep with Hapa's mellifluous tones. For Native Sons (by blood or by residence), this CD affords a chance to return to the islands that will probably always be "home." For visitors to the 50th State, this CD (along with Hapa's debut album) is probably the best souvenir you could consider taking back with you."

Disappointing - Sap Quotient Too High

J McAilen | Quincy, MA USA | 08/20/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I adored HAPA's debut album and I still play it constantly. So, figuring that the album "HAPA" was only their debut album, I thought Namahana would be phenominal. Not so.



Namahana is disappointing. Only five of the songs can be listened to more than once.



The lush string arrangements and synthesizer backgrounds on some of the songs add nothing to island music. They sound like songs you're forced to listen to while waiting for an elevator.



And while the first album had it's sentimental moments, HAPA kept the blatant emotionalism in check for the most part on that album. This time, the syrup bubbled over. In Manahana, the sappiness, both instrumental and vocal, is just overwhelming. Large chunks of the album sound like products of the really bad folk groups that came out in the 60's and 70's. Lastly, they give you a cut of generic background music they wrote for a television show. Music is written for television mostly because it's not meant to be consciously heard - why would you put something like that on an album?



I guess the entire album is nice music to hear while you're being enchanted on the islands, but there is a morning after. I buy island music to remember what a wonderful place Hawaii is long after I've left, not to mutter "what was I thinking?"



The majority of Namahana's songs were immediately removed from my iPod, but still, five keepers in an album is not bad. So I give this album 3 stars for just being average, which sadly, was a step down for HAPA.



For those who want to buy individual MP3 downloads, the keepers are Pu'uanahulu, Stars In The Morning Sky, Ku'u Home O Kahalu'u, He'eia (though pick up Cyril Pahinui's versions), and Debra Anne."