| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Claudia |
Posted - 11/27/2011 : 05:41:19 AM
Just saw Alexander Payne's movie set in Hawai'i and starring George Clooney: The Descendants. It's terrific and the all slack key soundtrack is just wonderful! Here are my kumu, Keola Beamer's comments on being a part of this project:
My Music Featured In The Film "The Descendants"
"The Descendants" is wonderful film based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings. It stars George Clooney, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard and Shailene Woodley. It is directed by Alexander Payne and was just released in the United States.
In the past, Hawai'i has been poorly portrayed by Hollywood, so I was feeling …. shall we say …. "hesitant", to participate? With the advice of some trusted professionals on Oahu, I flew to in to try some things in the studio and to have dinner with Alexander Payne and the the music staff of The Descendants. I sincerely tried to understand their vision for the film. I listened and I learned. Before I knew it, I was full in. I think the reason my hesitancy vanished, was that I discovered Alexander Payne to be a quality human being with exceptional story telling skills skills and a warm, open sensitivity to Hawai'i and its people. He really, really worked hard to get this right.
I highly recommend his movie to friends and fans. You will enjoy its its deep gravitas, somehow amazingly balanced with genuine humor. This is the sweet portrayal of a detached father re-building his family under some very trying circumstances.
I feel really honored to be involved in the score for "The Descendants". Please see this film, you won't regret the experience!
By: Keola Beamer
Here is the songlist from the movie soundtrack's CD:
Ka Makani Ka 'Ili Aloha - Gabby Pahinui
Kalena Kai- Keola Beamer and George Winston
Hi'ilawe- Gabby Pahinui
'Ulili E- Dennis Kamakahi
Ka Loke - Dennis Pavao and Makaha Sons
Auwe-Raymond Kane
Leahi- Gabby Pahinui
Hawaiian Skies-Jeff Peterson
He'eia- Gabby Pahinui
'Imi Au Ia 'Oe-Keola Beamer
Kaua'i Beauty-Gabby Pahinui
Hi'ilawe-Sonny Chillingworth
Wai O Ke Aniani-Gabby Pahinui
Paka Ua-Ozzie Kotani
Hapuna Sunset-Charles Michael Brotman
Deep in an Ancient Hawaiian Forest-Makana
Mom-Lena Machado
Ka Mele O Ku'u Pu'uwai-Sol Ho'opi'i's Novelty Trio
And here are Alexander Payne's comments on the liner notes about the reason for this soundtrack:
.......some of the magnificent musicians included here: Sonny Chillingworth, Ray Kane, Lena Machado and in particular, Gabby Pahinui.
I feel deeply in love with Gabby's music during the months spent driving around O'ahu and Kaua'i searching for locations. I'd already made the decision to score the film exclusively with Hawaiian music, and the car was the perfect place to do my homework. When I started playing Gabby, I felt the same chill as when at 18 I first heard Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue." I suspected I probably wouldn't be able to score the entire film with his music, but it occurred to me that his could still be the unifying musical voice, as were Cat Steven's, Leonard Cohen's and Simon and Garfunkel's in notable films of yesteryear.
.......I wanted to use only pre-existing music in the film, but for technical reasons we re-recorded in Honolulu a few tracks with the great Keola Beamer and the gifted young Jeff Peterson. This gave us the opportunity to meet the artists behind some of the music we now loved, and, like the other contemporary musicians included, they were unfailing warm and very agreeable to being part of a project showcasing work too often overlooked outside of Hawai'i.
It is a joy for us to share what we've been listening to while making the film and perhaps open some ears and hearts to the beauty of Hawaiian music. Our only regret is the inability to include more. -Alexander Payne[/i] |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| cyril |
Posted - 02/02/2012 : 11:36:02 PM
Here is the link to the NPR interview if you did not get a chance to hear it.
http://heidichang.com/2012/01/whats-the-story-behind-the-music-in-the-movie-the-descendants/ |
| roccos |
Posted - 02/01/2012 : 11:16:30 AM
I've been hypnotized by Gabby Pahinui's music. Obsessed since seeing the movie. I'm hooked |
| Retro |
Posted - 01/08/2012 : 07:55:23 AM
Heidi Chang did a piece on the soundtrack's creation, for NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday" 1-8-12:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2012/01/08/144804932/soundtracking-the-descendants-with-real-hawaiian-music |
| guitar yogi |
Posted - 12/16/2011 : 09:21:58 AM
I'm also hoping that this film will spark a lot of interest in Hawaiian slack key music. Then hopefully George Winston will open up his vault of treasure so that all of us slack key addicts can finally have a listen, too!! Many rock bands release small runs of archived studio or concert material to their most hard-core fans now, so why couldn't George Winston do the same?? |
| Trev |
Posted - 12/16/2011 : 12:30:57 AM
Not released in my locality unitl 27th January! Almost nobody knows about Hawaiian music where I live, but there are a number of people who're fans of Mr Clooney!
The film 'O Brother Where Art Thou' had a soundtrack that got a swathe of young people interested in traditional American folk music. Who knows? Perhaps the soundtrack for this might get people interested in Hawaiian music. Fingers crossed! |
| Retro |
Posted - 12/15/2011 : 7:50:16 PM
Forget the Disney vault - I'd rather go here:
quote:
Originally posted by Auntie Maria
I've seen the Dancing Cat vault...
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| Auntie Maria |
Posted - 12/15/2011 : 3:49:06 PM
I've seen the Dancing Cat vault...they've got LOTS of as-yet-unreleased stuff there.
When George Winston would bring artists in to record, he'd just turn on the equipment and let them play...or chat...or whatever. And all that stuff was recorded. Buried treasure, for sure!
Will we ever hear them? One can only hope... |
| Retro |
Posted - 12/15/2011 : 3:39:13 PM
Dancing Cat no longer has an exclusive distribution deal (as they used to with BMG, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music); rather than being primarily a record label, they now produce occasional projects and license them out to other labels, most recently archival material by Leonard Kwan, Ray Kane & Atta Isaacs, for HanaOla/Cord International based in Ventura, CA. |
| guitar yogi |
Posted - 12/15/2011 : 2:27:22 PM
I'm looking forward to seeing (and hearing!)this film, but I have a question that someone here hopefully might be able to answer. I noticed that the soundtrack of the film appears to be on the Sony Masterworks label, not Dancing Cat. In fact, it does not appear that Dancing Cat has released any new albums since Uncle Cyril's "He'eia" (a great album, by the way!) back in 2007. This really makes me sad, because Dancing Cat is my favorite record label and I like every single album they have ever released. Does anyone know if George Winston has any plans to ever release more Dancing Cat albums? I've read that there is a whole album's worth of Ray Kane's music that was recorded but never released. I also wonder if they have live concert material of Led Kaapana and Uncle Cyril jamming together when they toured together about ten years ago. I would LOVE to hear one of those concerts!!!!! |
| wcerto |
Posted - 12/15/2011 : 04:41:27 AM
The liner notes are very good, give proper attribution and also give proper respect to Gabby, Sonny, Uncle Raymond, Lena Machado and indeed, all the musicians whose music is used in the soundtrack. |
| wcerto |
Posted - 12/15/2011 : 02:19:10 AM
Mahalo for the link, Derek.
Here is an article from the Honolulu Star Advertiser about the movie being nominated for 2 SAG awards.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/The_Descendants_scores_2_SAG_award_nominations.html |
| Hookani |
Posted - 12/13/2011 : 10:24:50 PM
Here's a little blurb on the music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGdG3FARSTA
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| wcerto |
Posted - 12/13/2011 : 03:04:57 AM
Oh boy oh boy! The mele man brought us the CD and the book yesterday! I like being able to compare a book and a movie. Usually for me, the book wins because it can tell you way more than the limited time in a movie can. |
| Auntie Maria |
Posted - 12/10/2011 : 2:43:04 PM
"Descendants" starts showing on Kaua`i December 23. Kukui Grove Theater in Lihu`e.
Happy, happy; joy, joy!!!!! 
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| wcerto |
Posted - 12/10/2011 : 07:45:13 AM
Here is a very good article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel regarding the soundtrack to the film:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_19497068 |
