If the concept of Hawaiian Christmas music suggests anything to the average person, it may be a memory of
Bing Crosby and
the Andrews Sisters' 1950 recording "Mele Kalikimaka," which certainly wasn't one of
Crosby's bigger Christmas hits, but still gets a few plays every holiday season. Hawaiian singer
Keali'i Reichel doesn't cover that song on his Christmas album,
Maluhia, but not because he is a strict tradtionalist. Actually, like his non-seasonal CDs, this one contains a mixture of Hawaiian traditional material, new originals by
Reichel or his musical associates, and covers of adult contemporary material; for the season, he also adds some conventional Christmas songs like "O Holy Night" and "Silent Night." Anyone who has trouble reconciling the artist's interest in singing in Hawaiian with his affection for, in this case, the music of
the Carpenters and
Amy Grant simply hasn't been paying attention to his career so far.
Reichel loves soft rock and middle-of-the-road pop along with his native music, which he also likes to update, and his albums always combine these elements. What makes it all work, here and on his other discs, is his tenor voice, which has a slight vibrato he uses for emotional effect. Slipping
Maluhia on in a stack of Christmas CDs may add a slightly exotic flavor to a Christmas celebration, but it won't be jarring. In fact, this is a soothing collection of music for the most part. ~ William Ruhlmann