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Kohala is an acoustic guitar trio (Charles Michael Brotman, Charlie Recaido, Rupert Tripp Jr.) based in Hawaii, where the weather is uniformly perfect, cold winter winds never blow, and the prevailing philosophy is laid-back and upbeat. And so it goes with the fine Kohala Christmas; the talented trio presents 11 holiday instrumentals that will calm and soothe you, sending your seasonal anxieties out with the tide. The guitar stylings are accomplished and do not scream "Hawaii!"; in other words, the music is universally lovely without a hokey island vibe.

I have been reviewing holiday releases for many years, and guitar offerings have always numbered among my favorites. Such music affords a natural backdrop for almost any seasonal gathering; guitars create a welcoming and accessible palette for just about every audience. Kohala exemplifies this theme; Kohala Christmas shines with an understated, yet richly resiliant, luster. The satisfying music is at once comfortable and comforting; the pace is relatively slow, the tunes are almost entirely familiar, and the musicality is impressive.

My two favorite tracks are probably Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and O Come Emmanuel. The former is simple and well-paced; its simplicity won me over. The latter is even better; O Come Emmanuel exudes dark colors that are richly mysterious and exotic.

Looking for a brief respite from this crazy world? This acoustic guitar trio will whisk you away to a trouble-free land of beautiful music and unburdened thoughts. Why be stressed when you can kick back and enjoy a Kohala Christmas?

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2008)

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From the liner notes:

Produced by Charles Michael Brotman

The majestic view of Mauna Kea with its winter snow-capped peak makes Waimea Town a very special place during the holiday season. Folks from Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii all gather together upcountry for the annual Waimea Christmas parade to see the floats, listen to music and watch colorful pa'u riders and paniolo on horseback.


From the Website:

Instrumental arrangements of Christmas classics performed by Hawaii's acoustic guitar trio, Kohala, with their acoustic blend of island folk and jazz.

KOHALA's music - an acoustic blend of island jazz - reflects the beauty of the landscape and culture found in the Kohala region on the Big Island where the acoustic guitar trio lives. Lead guitarist, GRAMMY® Award winning Charles Michael Brotman, is a classical guitarist who began playing contemporary jazz after completing graduate studies in music. Rupert Tripp Jr. and Charlie Recaido grew up in Hawaii playing island music with a finger picking style on steel string guitars. The combination of the trio's diverse musical influences creates their own distinct sound.

GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Charles Michael Brotman resides in Hawaii where he has lived since 1976. He grew up on Mercer Island, Washington, his first introduction to formal music lessons was at age 8 as a violin student, at age 12 he discovered the guitar and performed with various bands throughout Washington State. He studied at the Cornish Institute and The Evergreen State College and received an M.A. degree in music from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he taught classical guitar for several years. Charles is the first recipient of the GRAMMY® Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album, and is internationally recognized for both his role as lead guitarist of KOHALA and as a composer. He is a multi Na Hoku Hanohano Award and a Hawaii Music Award winner. His recordings have reached #1 on the Billboard World Music Chart and several of his guitar recordings have charted in the top 10 on national radio charts. Charles works out of his Lava Tracks Recording Studio in Kamuela, Hawaii and is the President of Palm Records.

Charlie Recaido, born and raised in Hawaii, performed and recorded with the group Summer, which toured in the US and Japan in the late 70s with Kalapana. Summer was a headliner at "Toppe Ada Shoppe", the hotspot in Honolulu in the 70s that spawned the contemporary renaissance of music in Hawaii. Recaido lives in Waimea on the Big Island and works as an independent engineer and producer in between KOHALA tours and recording projects. Recaido was a featured soloist on Hawaii's first GRAMMY® CD. Kohala's newest member, Rupert Tripp Jr., lives in Hilo where he was raised in a family of entertainers and musicians. He was founder of the band Nalu! And can be heard performing on the Big Island at Volcano's Lava Rock Cafe, and the Fairmont Orchid.

Kohala

Kohala Christmas

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Track List