Track Listing

1. Ke Au Maluhia
2. Remind Me Of Home
3. Silent Night
4. Christmas Lullabye
5. Merry Christmas, Darling
6. Nu 'Oli
7. O Holy Night
8. Testify To Love
9. 'Til The Season Comes Round Again
10. Ke Aloha Kalikimaka

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54509 in Music
• Released on: 2006-11-21
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
"Maluhia" (Peaceful) features traditional classics and original compositions in both English and Hawaiian. Reichel's warm vocal style matches perfectly with the new material, whether it's an acapella version of the Hawaiian hymn "Nu 'Oli" or the more contemporary "Christmas Lullaby". The top-notch production contains string arrangements by Matt Catingub, and newly composed tunes by Ben Vegas, Puakea Nogelmeier, and Keola Donaghy. Guests include Ho'okena, Maila Gibson, and Grammy winner Jeff Peterson.

Customer Reviews

Every Day's a Holiday When You Listen to "Meluhia"
Hawaii and Christmas typically are usually placed in the same sentence for the novelty and humor they lend to each other. Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sister's "Mele Kalikimaka" or the hapa-hoale "(How'd You Like to Have) Christmas on Christmas Island?" are the typical Hawaiian Holiday tunes most listeners are exposed to. Funny, silly and Wow! No snow-it's a coconut palm sort of world! Wacky!!

Plenty of local Hawaiian and Hawaiian-inspired artists have released collections of holiday music. Rejecting novelty (well, most of the time...) local musicians have created holiday music that includes the Hawaiian language, the Protestant missionaries musical foundations and the melding of musical forces from all over the Pacific.

The George Winston-produced and distributed Holiday Slack Key collections successfully bring gentle island melodies to the most frigid of environments. Some artists, like Hapa and Na Leo, have released recordings for the holidays that are warm embraces of aloha and holiday cheer. Keali'i Reichel's holiday offering, "Maluhia," mixes the familiar with a twist-"Silent Night" sung in English and Hawaiian, "Merry Christmas, Darling" with a male chorus and slack key guitar and "O Holy Night" as a non-tour-de-force rendition but rather a gentle retelling of Christ's birth with 'cello. All these new takes on the old work well because, like all other superior holiday musical releases, Reichel mixes the familiar with the novel in a way that stays true to the original intent of the songwriter but exposes another facet or truth in the composition.

Unlike previous releases, Reichel does not offer any traditional Hawaiian chant or hula. The bracing, nasal yowl of a voice that Reichel would unleash in a chant and then temper in a Beatles's cover (See his version of "In My Life" on his debut album, "Kawaipunahele" for a moving example)is gone on this release-and probably rightly so. Reichel 's voice is soothing, folksy, and above all, warm. "Remind me of Home" and "Till the Season Comes 'Round Again" are nostalgic and longing memories that display an uncommon and sweet grace whether the listener is in Kahala or Kansas. Dan Fogelberg and Kenny Loggins are probably wishing that their A&R guys had found these wonderful songs first for their Christmas albums.

Reichel's unabashed love and pride in the Hawaiian language are right up front. "Nu 'Oli," the opening track, a 19th century Protestant hymn and "Ke Aloha Kalikimaka," a new composition, are gorgeous sonic portraits of the spirit of Christmas. It is the new Christmas carol by long time Reichel collaborator and University of Hawaii professor Dr. Puakea Nogelmeier, "Ke Au Maluhia" that will most likely move you to tears. One can imagine this song sung in the snow or the sands, always with love and reverence for family.

You won't go around working the room to this music. "Maluhia" is an album that invites you to read and reflect on the lyrics in the collection and the meaning of the season. Christmas and Hawaii are treated as partners on a journey-not polar opposites. And with Keali'i Reichel as your guide, you could not have a better journey. Be sure you have your Streisand, Crosby and Williiams CDs-but this year when you're cleaning up after the holiday dinner or perhaps setting up the tree alone, put on this CD and remember the joy and loss and be glad for this mele and aloha.

Wonderful reminder of beautiful Hawaii
I got a sample of his music in a Hawaii travel book, and listened to it about a month after returning from Kauai. I was immediately transported back to all that I love about Hawaii. In addition, his music brings together many things I like about music - melodious, caring, inspiring, relaxing. I just feel wonderful when I am listening to it.

This album is a great combination of that wonderful Hawaiian feeling plus some of the traditional Christmas music.

Enjoy!

Excellent Christmas album
Keali'i Reichel shines with his Christmas cd, Maluhia. I have given this to all of my friends as gifts, and everybody, even those who have no exposure to Hawaiian music, LOVE it! It opens with the hauntingly lovely Nu Oli, and continues with some old favorites such as Silent Night, sung in both English and Hawaiian. Breathtaking! The title song, Maluhia, is classic Reichel. His voice is soothing and this album rejoyces in the season. Get it. You won't be sorry.