Iam Tongi Has a Great Opportunity to Create Worldwide Hits

Iam Tongi covers Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me" 

(video deleted from YouTube)

I am not a regular viewers of American Idol, the nationwide talent contest that just wrapped its 21st season on ABC-TV. I never took much interest in it until this past Sunday, when I watched the three hour long live broadcast Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm.

Like many viewers throughout the State of Hawaii and across the nation, the big draw to American Idol this year was singer William "Iam" Tongi, who is an 18-year old singer from Kahuku on Oahu's North Shore. Since his audition in February of this year, Iam has made an impact across the islands and the nation with strong and emotional voice covering well known songs such as "Monsters" by James Blunt, "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel and "Bring it on Home to Me" by Sam Cooke to name few. 

The talented singer gives his all to every song he sings, pouring his soul into the songs and bringing them to life, often in remembrance of his father, Rodney, who passed away in 2022. He brought American Idol judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie during his audition singing James Blunt's "Monsters" which he dedicated to his father. Judge Katy Perry stated, "you hit a nerve, that is what great story tellers do. Your voice is so magnificent."

From that point on, Iam Tongi made it through all of the subsequent rounds of the American Idol song competition until he was placed among the final three this past Sunday. When the final vote was counted, Iam Tongi was named the new American Idol for 2023. More than 17 million people voted in the ongoing poll that was taken throughout the three hour broadcast.

The new American Idol winner gets a recording contract with Hollywood Records and $250,000 to pursue his musical dream. Let's hope he can craft great new music that can reach all demographics throughout the nation and world.

Iam has released a new single called "I'll Be Seeing You" which for the past several days, has topped the iTunes Top 100 songs of the day at #1. Best wishes to Iam Tongi as he moves up higher in his music career.

For the past several days Iam Tongi's "I'll Be Seeing You" has been on the top of the iTunes Top 100 Songs. He has also been instrumental for bringing James Blunt's 2019 track "Monsters" back into prominence as it hovers at the #2 position.

Iam Tongi's American Idol audition brought the judges to tears.

Iam Tongi's "I'll Be Seeing You" has already topped the iTunes Top 100 chart. The song is available to stream on all platforms or purchased as a digital download from Amazon and Apple.

Christmas Song of the Day #23 - O Holy Night - Willie K

Christmas Song of the Day #23 - O Holy Night - Willie K

Here in Hawaii, Uncle Willie K's version of "O Holy Night" has proved to be a very enduring song. In this live recorded performance from 2013 (courtesy of Hawaii News Now), Willie K gives us an outstanding and powerful version of this Christmas holiday classic. You'll love it.

The year 2020 has seen the passing of many musicians. Here in Hawaii we lost Willie K to cancer on May 18. May he rest in peace. His music will live on forever. Aloha.

The studio album version of the song is also included on this. page.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimi Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
Dec. 18 - "Here This Christmas" - Gwen Stefani
Dec. 19 - "Candy Cane Lane" - Sia
Dec. 20 - "Carol of the Bells" - Libera
Dec. 21 - "O Holy Night" - Willie K

O Holy Night (audio) as it appears on Willie K's album, Willie Kalikimaka. The track is much more powerful here.

Christmas Song of the Day #17 - "Christmas Lu'au" ft Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound

Christmas Song of the Day #17 - "Christmas Lu'au" ft Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound

"Christmas Lu'au" is a song that celebrates a Christmas lu'au (or feast) that goes back many years. I remember my Mom singing this at a party. It is a happy song that has never gone away, at least in Hawaii.

Island music singers Kimie Miner and Paula Fuga look like they had a fun time recording this video for the iconic Hawaiian Christmas party song. The video was recorded a few days ago on December 11, 2020. Enjoy the video and don't forget to check what tomorrow's Christmas Song of the Day will be.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound

Top 10 Albums That Made an Impact:Arthur Lyman "Yellow Bird"

The CD booklet from Arthur Lyman's "Yellow Bird" album.

DAY #1: Your Top 10 Favorite Albums that had a big impact on you. This is the first of a series of posts that were originally made after being challenged to create such a meme on Facebook by a friend in 2018. This is the updated rewrite of the series with a link back to the original post.

Arthur Lyman - Yellow Bird - Originally posted to Facebook May 11, 2018.

I have compiled Top 10 lists of various records over the years, but on this series, the focus will be on those records that "had a big impact on you".

To start, I go way back to my childhood from 1961 or 1962. My parents bought the Arthur Lyman record, "Yellow Bird".

If you like instrumental music with a tropical flair, Yellow Bird is the album to get. Throughout, Arthur Lyman and his band treat listeners to an array of tropical flavored arrangements utilizing xylophone, marimbas and other percussion instruments plus bird calls for added flavor.

My favorite tracks are "Havah Nagilah", "Bamboo Tamboo", "Adventures in Paradise" (which was the theme music for some 1960s era TV show), and of course "Yellow Bird" which was a top ten hit in 1961 reaching the #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The original vinyl LP we had in our family over the years was played so many times that it badly wore out to the point that it was no longer playable. Years later while browsing Amazon, I purchased the CD reissue on Rykodisc. I think the CD is now out of print, though some of the songs have appeared on compilation albums over the years.

One thing I would like to get is a vinyl copy as released to HiFi Records in good to mint condition. It would be cool to listen to this on vinyl again.

Yellow Bird is highly recommended if you love lounge music and instrumental, tropical exotica.

Listen to Yellow Bird (from YouTube):

Listen to Havah Nagilah (from YouTube):

Honokaa Jazz Band in Concert

The Honokaa High School Jazz Band is on its 2018 Oahu semester tour . The band is playing at several venues over the next few days. Last night (April 19) they played at Centerstage at the Ala Moana Center. Under band director Gary Washhburn, the band wows crowds with their renditions of popular jazz, pop and rock tunes. The band showcased their virtuosity by covering popular standards such as "Route 66," "Cry Me a River," "Moondance," "The Closer I Get To You," and several others. Washburn has written music for the band. They played two of his upbeat, toe-tapping, instrumental compositions which showcased the talents of various members on keyboards, drums, sax and brass. You can learn more about the Honokaa High School Jazz Band from their Facebook page.

Links

• Honokaa High School Jazz Band on Facebook
• Honokaa High School Jazz Band in Honolulu Photos
• Proclamation Presented to Honokaa Jazz Band
• Honokaa High School Jazz Band Page (DOE)

Classic Hits Night with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band

The Beatles are an endangered species. Only 2 members of the Fab Four survive today. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only two members of the band who actively perform their own hits as well as those they made as a member of The Beatles.

After being a Beatles fan for more than 50 years, I finally got to see one of them perform live. Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band, consisting of a roster of highly talented musicians entertained an appreciative crowd at the Blaisdell Center Arena in Honolulu on November 8, 2016.

Ringo and his band ground through 25 classic rock and pop hits that spanned the decades of the 1960s to the 80s. Band members Todd Rundgren, Steve Lukather (of Toto), Greg Rolie (of Santana & Journey), Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Warren Ham and Greg Bisonnette shared the spotlight with Ringo as they performed individual hits.

Cover songs like "Black Magic Woman," "Hold the Line", "Bang the Drum All Day" and "Kyrie" were one of many audience favorites that for the most part were just about dead on accurate to their original hit records.

Of course no one can deny Ringo, who belted several of his Beatles and solo hits including "Matchbox", "It Don't Come Easy," "What Goes On," and "Boys" to name a few. Audience members sang along with "Yellow Submarine" and appreciated Ringo's two #1 hits, "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen."

The rousing "Back of Boogaloo", "Don't Pass Me By" from The Beatles White Album and Buck Owens' country hit, "Act Naturally" were highly appreciated. Ringo took turns singing his vocal set stage front as well as behind the drum kit on several hits. He is the world's most famous drummer and he did well on the skins covering the hit songs by his touring bandmates.

Second drummer Greg Bisonnette filled in on sets where Ringo was stage front as well as delivering solid sets with guitarists Rundgren, Lukathar and Page. Rolie was extremely competent with the keyboards.

Overall it was a great night for classic rock with every song being an audience favorite.







More Concert Photos from Mel's Flickr Page

RINGO STARR & HIS ALL STAR BAND
November 8, 2016
Concert Set List - Neil S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, HI.

1. Matchbox
(Carl Perkins cover / The Beatles) - Ringo on vocals, drums

2. It Don't Come Easy
(Ringo Starr song) - Ringo's Top 10 hit from 1971.

3. What Goes On
(The Beatles cover) - From the Beatles album "Rubber Soul".

4. I Saw the Light
(Todd Rundgren cover) - 1972 Top 40 hit

5. Evil Ways
(Willie Bobo / Santana cover) - Greg Rollie

6. Rosanna
(Toto cover) - 1982 hit

7. Kyrie
(Mr. Mister cover)

8. Bang the Drum All Day
(Utopia cover) - Todd Rundgren

9. Boys
(The Shirelles / The Beatles cover) -Ringo

10. Don't Pass Me By
(The Beatles cover) - Ringo

11. Yellow Submarine
(The Beatles cover) - Ringo

12. Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
(Santana cover; originally by Fleetwood Mac / Peter Green)

13. You're Sixteen
(Johnny Burnette cover) - Ringo #1 hit 1974

14. Back Off Boogaloo
(Ringo Starr song) - Ringo

15. You Are Mine
(Richard Page cover)

16. Africa
(Toto cover) - 1982 Top 10 hit

17. Oye como va
(Tito Puente / Santana hit cover) - Greg Rollie

18. I Wanna Be Your Man
(The Beatles cover)

19. Love Is the Answer
(Utopia cover / England Dan & John Ford Coley hit) - Todd Rundgren

20. Broken Wings
(Mr. Mister cover)

21. Hold the Line
(Toto cover) - 1978 hit

22. Photograph
(Ringo Starr song / #1 hit in 1973)

23. Act Naturally
(Buck Owens cover / Beatles B Side to "Yesterday")

24. With a Little Help From My Friends
(The Beatles cover)

25. Give Peace a Chance
(Plastic Ono Band cover)

Thanks to Daniel for the ticket.

Review in StarAdvertiser.com

Beach Rock by Blue Fin

Beach Rock by Blue Fin, a photo by macprohawaii on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
IMG_4481 - Anyone remember this Hawaii produced record and band? I've had this 45 for years, but only recently found it in June stashed in a box in Honokaa. It's a good song. The other side is a song called "Vacationlnad". Both are good rock songs. Has this ever been out on digital? I doubt it. Was there an album? If there was I never saw it. Or heard it.

Classic Rock Again by Chaotic Five

I was lucky enough to catch another free performance by Chaotic Five at the Ala Moana Center last night (April 14). Chaotic Five is billed as Hawaii's "youngest classic rock group" and for good reason. All of the songs they sing predate their own existence by at least 15 to 20 years, many songs much older.

Chaotic Five consists of five school aged kids less than 15 years old each. The group is fronted by female lead singers Chloe Salacup with lead guitarist Kalliyan Davis filling in from time to time. Rounding out the group are drummer Ethan Salacup, bass guitarist Caramon Ramos and Raistlin Ramos on keyboards and rhythm guitar.

The classic rock repertoire include covers of Queen, Judas Priest, Bon Jovi, Journey, Metallica, Blondie, Heart and more. The female singers give the songs a slightly different twist with all of the instrumentation, original and authentic to the way we remember the songs from the records.

Chaotic Five have played at a number of venues around Oahu including the Michael W. Perry  and Larry Price radio show on KSSK and interviews on Oldies 107.9 FM radio with Ed Kanoi. They have also been showcased in a series of youth rock concerts held at the Hard Rock Cafe.

The band maintains a Facebook website at:
https://www.facebook.com/ChaoticFive

Video Streams are hosted on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/KalliyanD

More Photos:

All photographs by Mel
Flickr Photo Chaotic Five Set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/macprohawaii/sets/72157629824607933/

Slideshow on Flickr (130 images)
http://www.flickr.com//photos/macprohawaii/sets/72157629824607933/show/

Video: Living on a Prayer - Ala Moana Center 4-14-2012



Article in MidWeek: The Cradle Will Rock (March 14, 2012)

Previous Blog Entry: Classic Rock Lives in Hawaii

Local Music Pictures From Hawaii

The slide show shown above are pictures I shot at various live venues in Hawaii, mainly in Honolulu over the past few years. I don't go out to many live concerts mainly because of the cost. However there are plenty of free or nearly free live music opportunities to listen to and photograph some of Hawaii's most popular and upcoming talents around.

As most people know, Hawaii has a large "homegrown" music industry here consisting of tourist oriented hula shows, a traditional Hawaiian music recording industry and the popular "island music" genre populated by artists who mix Hawaiian music in with reggae, R & B, and rock n roll. There is also plenty of rock, country, alternative, pop, jazz and island grown hip hop music artists that don't get as much mainstream exposure in the islands as mainstream Hawaiian and "island music" styles.

Then there are parades and sports activities where marching bands are common, the most well known being the City & County of Honolulu's Royal Hawaiian Band. They play at various venues including concerts, mall appearances, schools, grand openings and parades. The University of Hawaii Rainbow Marching Band is also popular making appearances at most home football and basketball games. They recently recorded a video of the "Hawaii Five-0" theme song which you can view a few posts below this one.

There are many public and private grade school and high school marching bands added to this colorful mix too. The bands perform at various events including concerts, sporting events and parades.

Lastly in the area of fine arts, the Honolulu Symphony is on hiatus with the status of its return doubtful as the organization is mired in a long and bitter bankruptcy procedure.

Taikojuku Miyako Drummers at Ala Moana

Shot video and photos of this Taiko drumming group from Japan. The performance was set in conjunction with the week long Honolulu Festival that has been going on in Honolulu celebrating Asian and Pacific culture in Hawaii. The Taiko drums were one of several events that occurred around town to commemorate the event. Honolulu Festival is supposed to conclude today with a parade in Waikiki.

"Taiko" is a type of several Japanese drums, used in recent years in ensemble casts such as the Taikojuku Miyako group who did this performance.

The pictures and video were shot at Ala Moana Shopping Center's "Centerstage" area, a place where frequent, free musical performances take place. Ala Moana Shopping Center maintains a Centerstage performance schedule at their website.

Greg Hammer Band

I rarely go out of my way to see live music. Last weekend I did not go out of my way to see the Greg Hammer Band. They were however performing at the free Honolulu Family Festival carnival that was held on Magic Island, Ala Moana Park from July 30 to August 2. I was there on Saturday night, August 1, mainly to test out a new lens I got for one of my old Minolta 35mm SLR film cameras.

After taking photos of the sights at the carnival, I settled down in the large show tent where a kids performance was taking place at one end while I ate. I was at the far end from that show but very close to the other performance stage where the band was setting up.

The Greg Hammer Band took stage right after the kids parade was over. They are a cover band and that played some great top 40 and rock n roll hits from mainly the late 1960s and early to mid 1970s. Nearly all of the songs were radio gems that I grew up with. "Vehicle," "No Time," "Play That Funky Music," "You Made Me So Very Happy", "Get Ready," "I Just Want to Celebrate," and many more. They did a great set of hits popularized by Chicago which included "Make Me Smile," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" and "Beginnings".

The band's vocals are handled by Greg Hammer, who bills himself as "Hawaii's premiere singer/impressionist". Impress he does as he handles the vocals with nearly perfect recreation of the artists he covers including Elvis Presley, The Commodores, Chicago, Rare Earth and more. He is backed by a tight band that keep the vibes and rhythm going. I totally enjoyed the night's show. It was great to hear all of those old hits in a live setting.

The Greg Hammer Band has a regular gig at Dave & Buster's in Honolulu.


MEL'S OLDIES OF THE WEEK
As submitted to Plannine's Classic Top 30 site

1. Pretty Lady - Lighthouse
2. Who's Lovin' You - Jackson 5
3. Summer Sand - Dawn
4. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
5. Revolution - The Beatles
6. Feelings - The Grass Roots
7. Long Time to Be Alone - New Colony Six
8. Tiny Bubbles - Don Ho
9. Convoy - C.W. McCall
10. Birds of a Feather - The Raiders