Search - Various Artists :: Troubled Paradise -- Traditional Music from Hawaii

Troubled Paradise, a film by Academy Award-winning independent filmmaker Steven Okazaki, is both a celebration of the richness of Hawaiian culture and a compelling look at the social and political problems facing its indigenous population. Set on the big island of Hawaii, if features some of the islands' finest musicians and dancers. This record consists of field recordings made for the film which captures the music and dance as it fits into the daily lives of the native people and provides a sampling of Hawaiian folk music. it features the drums and chants of traditional hula, a classical art bearing little resemblance to the tourist form most Americans are familiar with, and the wonderfully distinctive "slack key" guitar sound that is unique to these islands. The artists include Halau 'O Kehuhi, considered by many to be the foremost hula group in Hawaii, guitarists George Kahumoku Jr. and Dean Kaahanui, and singer Diana Aki, who was named best female vocalist in Hawaii in 1988.