2006 Hawaiian Grammy nominees

[LikaNui]

Re: 2006 Hawaiian Grammy nominees

I'm pretty surprised that nobody else in HT had any thoughts about the Grammy award situation. There's a fascinating article in today's Advertiser at this link about some of Hawai`i's vocalists whining about slack key winning and how some vocalists are planning to cause trouble for the Grammy situation which may cost us having a category at all. I have some thoughts on the matter, but will wait to see if anyone else here gives a hoot.
Sadly, there are more messages on HT about Britney Spears shaving her head and about the late Anna Nicole Smith's paternity situation than there are about Hawaiian music things.

[scrivener]

Re: 2006 Hawaiian Grammy nominees

Sadly, there are more messages on HT about Britney Spears shaving her head and about the late Anna Nicole Smith's paternity situation than there are about Hawaiian music things.

You've got posting capabilities on HT, LikaNui. Do something about it.

Gary Chun said in the Star-Bulletin that the nominating committee should refuse to nominate ki hoalu projects this year and force some different kind of winner next year. Bogus. Albums that are great deserve to be nominated no matter what their genre.

As I have already said in this very thread, the only consideration should be "best," not "best...of genres that haven't already won." If the way the voters vote pisses you off, just remember that it's the electors' award, and you can't do a thing about whatever their opinions are. Trying to influence the outcome of the vote by eliminating from consideration an entire genre is preposterous.

I run into the same argument at the end of every academic year. Some teachers want to get together with other teachers to coordinate the year-end academic awards, so that the same student doesn't win every award. Again, I say bogus. If so-and-so deserves the English award for superior work in my class, he or she shouldn't be denied it because she was also the best student in Japanese or history. You shouldn't win "best" if you're only second-best.

[pzarquon]

Re: 2006 Hawaiian Grammy nominees

I'm pretty surprised that nobody else in HT had any thoughts about the Grammy award situation...Sadly, there are more messages on HT about Britney Spears shaving her head and about the late Anna Nicole Smith's paternity situation than there are about Hawaiian music things.

Sheesh. I had a lot to say, including stuff abut the Gary Chun commentary Mitchell mentioned (in which I feel his frustration but don't agree with his "solution")... but suddenly I have a strong urge to post messages about baldies and baby daddies.

Actually, like Mitchell, what I'd have to say has already been said. I agree that "best of" should be "best of." I just think it's ridiculous that he thinks that's what we could even possibly have been getting with the last three years of slack key awards. I mean, c'mon. A compilation album? That's like giving a foodie prize to a sampler platter, or tacky buffet.

I really thought Led and Kapono had a chance. Darn that pesky, incomprehensible indigenous language!

[scrivener]

Re: 2006 Hawaiian Grammy nominees

Hmmmm. Compilations. I hadn't considered that part of the issue. And I agree. Compilations should be disqualified.

[pzarquon]

Re: 2006 Hawaiian Grammy nominees

Trying to influence the outcome of the vote by eliminating from consideration an entire genre is preposterous.

Then:

Hmmmm. Compilations. I hadn't considered that part of the issue. And I agree. Compilations should be disqualified.

Alas, there's the rub. Slippery slope and all that. I suppose one could say it's technically possible that a compilation album was indeed the best album of all albums in a category to come out in a given year... but frankly, in that case, they should just not give the award out at all. A collection of "best of" kind of loses its value if the deck includes more than a few jokers. Or something. My metaphor machine is in the shop.

I guess one could make the case that a compilation album isn't really an "album" in the traditional sense. I mean, it's not one artist or group's conception of a collection of coherent works. It's an outside party cherry picking individual tracks from other artists and albums to make something completely different.

But if they're out, I wonder what'll happen to the new and, IMHO, fascinating world of "mashups" and remixes. A lot of it is derivative and independent interpretation of another artist's work, but a lot of it is pretty remarkable.

[scrivener]

Re: 2006 Hawaiian Grammy nominees

Maybe a qualifier on the category, such as "previously unreleased."

[Miulang]

Re: 2006 Hawaiian Grammy nominees

I think somewhere down the road the Grammys will expand the Best of Hawaiian category to more than one genre. But that can only happen if more local musicians go on tour up here and radio progams on CONUS give more airtime to Hawaiian artists. Leo's radio program helps a lot, as does the fact now that people with internet access can get live streams of music from the 'aina from anywhere. I listen to live feeds of KPOA (and Alaka'i the Morning Goddess and Kawika).

I know for myself, I never really was interested in traditional Hawaiian (not Jawaiian) music until I didn't have it all around me all the time. Now it's all I've got on my CD player in the car. And whenever a Hawaiian musician or group makes it up here, I do try to make the effort to attend and support those artists.

In the meantime, I respect the Hokus more than the Grammys as a reflection of what really IS the "Best of" in Hawai'i.

Miulang