The first 20 minutes or so of this DVD is filled with traditional, a cappella chanting, with the occasional drum accompaniment. This may put off some viewers/listeners, as the chant motifs are not especially melodic, though using the subtitle option presents the wonderful images and stories the chants convey. There is probably no more poetic people than the Hawaiians, with their pantheistic views of nature and the elements, views that fully inform their chants.

After this introductory segment, Reichel brings out his band and moves into what will probably be more familiar territory to most viewers/listeners: the frequently harmonically simple, yet touching, music of the ukelele, guitar and triadic choral singing that colors a lot of traditional "Island" music. Most of the songs are accompanied by beautiful hula dancing, which, per their tradition, both "acts out" and comments on the songs themselves.

The proceedings are helped immeasurably by Reichel's sweet and self-deprecating stage presence, as well as his obvious heart-felt love for his people's traditions, something he has helped keep alive for a new generation. There's also a wonderful guest turn by Ben Vegas, who performs a beautiful song dedicated to his wife.

If your only introduction to world music coupled with dance has been the ubiquitous Riverdance series, you owe it to yourself to explore this alternate culture.

The DVD

Video:
A pristine enhanced 1.78:1 image makes this concert beautiful to watch, aided by gorgeous cutaways to flyovers of the Hawaiian islands.

Sound:
Both the standard stereo and Dolby 5.1 soundtracks offer excellent fidelity and superb separation. The music is reproduced perfectly and the spoken sections are uniformly front and center and easy to hear.

Extras:
Two extras, one better than the other, are offered. The better is a wonderful 30 minute hommage to Reichel's mentor, "Uncle" George Holokai, a kuma hula (source of wisdom about the hula) in his 70s when this segment was filmed in 2005. The love that Reichel feels for his teacher is palpable in this segment, and Holokai plays and sings with an amazing amount of verve for someone his age. The lesser extra is a brief puff-piece on Reichel himself, with a montage of clips of him winning apparently yearly Hawaiian music awards, as well as his concerts in such renowned venues as Carnegie Hall.

Final Thoughts:
We western "haolies" (non-Islanders) did a pretty fine job of eradicating native cultures as we conquered various lands and peoples, including the native Hawaiians, throughout history. Thankfully there are people like Reichel out there actively preserving their traditions for the future, and this DVD is a fitting testament to those efforts.

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"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet