With "Without Tears/Waimaka`ole,"Joanie
Komatsu establishes herself as a diligent, prolific proponent of Island
music.
-- Wayne Harada,
Honolulu Advertiser
This disc matches -- no, surpasses
-- the high standards she set for herself with 1989's "Moon over Manoa."
...She's worthy of a Hoku for this one.
-- John Berger,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Joanie's peers voted "Without
Tears/Waimaka`ole" a 1995 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards finalist in two categories
-- "Best Female Vocalist" and "Best Liner Notes." True to its title,
her disc features a variety of uplifting island-themed songs: 4 Hawaiian,
2 ballads, 1 reggae, 2 instrumentals, and 3 with fold-based rhythms.
All 12 songs honor our island culture, legends, places, love and beauty.
Nine of the songs are Joanie's original compositions. Some are arranged
fully and performed with contemporary island flair by Ken Makuakane,
Daniel
Ho and
Kit Ebersbach; other songs are rendered acoustically
by Joanie herself.
Guest artists performing with Joanie
also include Hawaiian slack-key guitar masters Sonny Chillingworth,
Ozzie
Kotani, Keola Beamer, Del Beazley, and a guitar performance
by pianist and ki ho`alu patron George Winston. Cover art
is by photographer
Kim Taylor Reese, and a 16-page booklet with
song lyrics, translations, composer's notes and photos accompanies the
CD.
