Hawaiian Passion

One of the longer-standing artists in the Hawaiian vocal scene, Tony Conjugacion is a formidable falsetto singer with a good history of success. His 1985 album Hawaiian Passion netted him four of the top Na Hoku Hanohano (Hawaiian Grammy) awards for Best Album, Best Male Vocals, Song of the Year, and Best Traditional Album. After a nice, long stint on Broadway and running a hula halau, the opportunity was presented to re-record his landmark album with his old bandmates, which led to the 2003 re-release of Hawaiian Passion. These aren't remastered versions of the original recordings, but, instead, a replayed version of the full album — but with the performers having an extra 15 or 20 years of experience under their belts — providing a slightly smoother sound. In addition to the track-by-track retakes, six songs that were originally not included on Hawaiian Passion's first form are included for the sake of collectors and new listeners alike, leaving a little something for those that already have an old copy of the first album. The bulk of the instrumental backing is a nice little strummed, rhythmic background, with some licks on the steel guitar keeping up a little of the melody. The primary sound, though, is Tony C's signature falsetto singing. He's still able to hit the highest notes with ease and the end product is a worthwhile album, with its main competitor being the previous version of the same songs. For those that can't find the original winning album (since the company has since gone out of business), this one is likely worth a listen; but for those that have the original, this is largely rehashing the same songs (though the extras might make it worthwhile even so).