Sweet Hollywaiians
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 9:30AM
Just back from the Hukilau, my once-per-year 3 day trip to Fort Lauderdale to mingle with like-minded Polynesian Pop afficionados...
One of the bands this year is one that I've been listening to for a couple of years. The Sweet Hollywaiians hail from Osaka, Japan and play an interesting mix of jazz/blues/hawaiian & ragtime music, done with the instrumentation you'd expect to hear on a 78rpm disc recorded in the 20's. The four members of the band are all extremely talented musicians, and all play in other bands as well.
I made sure I was front and center for their performance so I could get some good shots. They have a mostly acoustic sound and I think that took some of my fellow Hukilau attendees by surprise. There was lots of audience chatter and it sometimes overpowered the music. I did get to see them perform again the next night at the Mai Kai, but didn't have my camera with me. Still front & center, though.
The Sweet Hollywaiians are fun to watch and listen to. They have a few CD's available, but they're pretty pricey here in the US, going for between $20-$30 each if you can find them. The only downloads they have available are on their MySpace page where you can also find more info about the band.
Hukilau, Sweet Hollywaiians