Raiatea's Blossom
New CD in my A-list rotation

By Desiree Moana Cruz

Unless there is a hurricane, tsunami or earthquake, I'm one of those people who rarely (if ever) turns on the radio. I like who I like. So, when I find a CD that I dig, I put it on repeat and play the hell out of it till I've had my fill. Therefore, I could possibly be the only person in the state of Hawai'i who had never actually listened to a Raiatea Helm recording.
The sweet young singer from Moloka'i has racked up an impressive body of work in a few short years while cultivating a national and international following. Just a few weeks ago she was rocking out at the Diamond Head Crater Celebration as the featured female voice with Mick Fleetwood's Island Rumours Band.
With her latest CD, Hawaiian Blossom (co-produced by Dave Tucciarone and Zachary Helm), she continues to flourish in the Hawaiian music genre, with a polished collection of traditional hits, lesser known covers, and an original written specifically for her. But she concludes with a tantalizing, unexpected jazz standard that nearly knocked my socks off.
When barely 18 years old, Helm set the Hawaiian music community abuzz with the release of her 2003 debut CD, Far Away Heaven. Almost immediately she was heralded as the obvious successor to such greats as the legendary Lena Machado, Hawaiian music doyenne Aunty Genoa Keawe and reigning leo ki'eki'e luminary Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom. Her freshman release captured the prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and Most Promising Artist. At the Hawai'i Music Awards, she was named Female Vocalist of the Year. In 2005 her second album, Sweet and Lovely, in which she sang with a host of established Hawaiian stars, soared to the top of American music heights with a Best in Hawaiian Music GRAMMY nomination and Na Hoku Hanohano Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and Favorite Entertainer.
For her latest effort, she once again selects carefully from the best and gathers Hawai'i music industry heavy hitters around her: Ledward Ka'apana (slack key guitar), Aaron Sala (piano), Hoku Zuttermeister ('ukulele, guitar, bass, ipu), Louis "Moon" Kauakahi (vocals and guitar), Steve Jones (bass), Brian Tolentino ('ukulele), Casey Olsen (steel guitar), and others.
"Poi 'Awa'awa," by Puakea Nogelmeier, pays delicious homage to the more challenging dynamics of love and friendship. On "Ko'ula/Manowaiopuna," beloved tenor Robert Cazimero lends his distinctive expansive vocals for a pairing second to none.
Tony Conjugacion and O'Brien Eselu each lend a composition, while Kauahi writes "Lei Kukui" specifically to honor the young Moloka'i songbird. While a few tunes, such as Kimo Kamana's "Pua Tuberose" and Lena Machado's "Ei Nei," seem almost too slow, the pace picks up with "My Dede" featuring Scott Villager on clarinet.
That song sets the stage for the final track: "Taking A Chance On Love." Encouraged by manager/father Zachary Helm to include the jazz standard previously recorded by Frank Sinatra and others, Helm knocks this one out of the park. Arranged by Kit Ebersbach, it features Brian Kessler (guitar), Steven Kessler (bass), DeShannon Higa (trumpet,) Abe Lagrimas (percussion) and a delightful string section that includes Claire Hazzard, Hung Wu, Mark Butler and Karen Betchel. Helm shows off with confident vocals that combine class and sass.
After winning the 2005 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Graphics with Sweet and Lovely, Big Island-based art director Mele McPherson, (also born and raised on Moloka'i) returns with a stellar team. Photographer Guy Sibilla's graphic design and liner notes are world class. The cover art by Maui photographer Randy Jay Braun (best known for his stunning CD cover photos of Keali'i Reichel) is sexy and fresh: a fun mini-pinup poster with Helm bedecked in raspberry-hued floral frippery.
While Hawaiian Blossom will continue to enchant her legions of Hawaiian music enthusiasts, make way for jazz heads to come a-calling. This Hawaiian blossom is just beginning to bloom.
Available at most music stores, or online from mountainapplecompany.com or raiateahelm.com
Aloha a hui hou as the beat goes on… n
Contact Desiree at islandbeat@hawaiiislandjournal.com.
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