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January-February 2008
ARTIST: CYRIL PAHINUI
TITLE: HE’EIA
LABEL: DANCING CAT
By Audrey Coleman
 The word He’eia refers to He’eia Bay on Hawai’i
Island’s Kona coast, a place where King David Kalakaua used to enjoy on a day
at the beach. In the opening musical selection of the same name, Cyril Pahinui
evokes the setting with a powerful, lush interpretation of the name chant (mele
inoa) for Kalakaua, with music attributed to J. Kalahiki. He’eia is
one of three traditional songs for which he has created exquisite arrangements
for slack key guitar.
One of the fascinating aspects of this third solo album is
the way it showcases Cyril’s stylistic gifts. He plays an instrumental version
of He’eia on Cut 1 with his 12-string guitar in the C Mauna Lua
tuning (C-G-E-G-A-E). Later, in Cut 6, he plays it in Atta’s C Major
(C-G-E-G-C-E), creating a different mood with the change in tonal coloration
and adding his own vocals. Similarly he plays O Kamawailualani (the
ancient name for the island
of Kaui’i) on his
six-string guitar in Cut 2 and uses his 12-string guitar for the same selection
in Cut 10.
Many of the selections display Cyril’s sensitive use of rubato.
The opening section of Makee ‘Ailana, a song celebrating one of the
islands that used to dot the bay along Waikiki,
has a plaintive, halting, singing quality that suggests a yearning for the
beauty of the past. In Meleana E, he embellishes the opening with three
finger rolls and slow chord progressions before launching into the ballad at a
regular, slow tempo.
The CD also features an instrumental composed by Cyril
Pahinui, titled simply Kiho ‘Alu (slack key). Its simple elegance has
made it a standard frequently played by his contemporaries.
“The most important thing I did was to listen,” is the quote
that Dancing Cat placed on the back cover of the He’eia CD jacket..
From the beauty and depth of his slack key guitar playing, it is evident that
Cyril Pahinui has listened intently.
From his father, slack key guitar legend Gabby Pahinui, he
absorbed the tunings, the rich ornamentation, and the soulful interpretations
that set the standard for slack key playing for a generation. Jamming in the
backyard or playing in the Gabby Pahinui Band, he was surrounded by Gabby’s
gifted contemporaries, Atta Isaacs and Sonny Chillingworth, among others, who mentored
him as he learned the art of kiho ‘alu. Cyril also learned to listen
closely to the lyrics of the songs he interpreted, unlocking the kaona
or hidden meaning and conveying its feeling instrumentally. Finally, he has
listened to the stirrings in his own soul, translating personal experience and
emotion into his interpretations of slack key standards and original
compositions.
Four selections on He’eia feature Cyril Pahinui doing
his own vocals. At first, I found these difficult to appreciate because his
voice lacks the polish of his instrumentals. I found that it took a few
listenings to realize that although Cyril’s voice may not conjure up Carnegie
Hall, it perfectly suits the informality of a backyard jam session in the rural
atmosphere where kiho ‘alu was born. Furthermore, when I heard him play
in person, the soulful quality of his voice – so appropriate to the music and
lyrics – more than compensated for the occasional edginess and l off-pitch
moments in his vocals.
This year He’eia is a serious contender for the 2008
Grammy Award in the Hawaiian Music category and may break the two-year winning
streak of the slack key compilation albums produced by Daniel Ho and George
Kahumoku. Ironically, Cyril Pahinui is featured on this year’s compilation entry.
In any case, if either of these two entries wins, the winner will be the tradition
of slack key that musicians of Cyril Pahinui’s generation have lovingly
nurtured for several decades.
Audrey Coleman is a writer, educator, and passionate explorer of
world music and culture.
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