The Greenwood Family - Other Projects

The band Greenwood formerly disbanded in the early '80s but members went on to various other projects. Steven Lee went on to form a contempory Hawaiian band "Waipio" that produced an LP in the early 80 while other members did other venues. Here's one of them. Original Greenwood drummer Brad Choi, lead vocalist Curtis Takahama, guitarist/vocalist Owen Kajiwara & keyboardist/vocalist Dwayne Higa formed the nucleus of the contemporary Hawaiian band Ke'Ope Ono. Here's a few reviews of the CD that was released by the group, "Lunchwagon Man".

Saturday, January 6, 2001

Posted on: Saturday, January 6, 2001
Island Sounds
Reviews of CD by Ke 'Ope Ono

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

"LUNCHWAGON MAN" by Ke ‘Ope Ono, Island Groove IGPD 2010.

Ke ‘Ope Ono, which means the Six Pack, is a sextet comprised of Curt Takahama, Larry Lopez, Owen Kajiwara, Ryan Hashiro, Dwayne Higa and Brad Choi.

The group was a winner in Mt. Kalihi Productions’ "Battle of the Bands" contest at the annual Makaha Bash.

This debut CD shows promise and potential, though the group’s sound is more imitative than innovative for now. Still, these guys know how to celebrate, Island style, and the title song - what act hasn’t sung about local foodstuffs? - radiates with Takahama’s joy in food.

Several in the group write music, including Choi’s "I No Wanna Boy" which is all sweetness and innocence, with ‘ukulele accompaniment, about things we don’t want to do as kids. Go bed. Get up. Go school.

Covers of "Flying," "How Can I Be Sure," "If" and "Hualalai" also serve as friendly pathways into the hearts of these musicians.


Island Mele

Friday, December 29, 2000
By John Berger
Lunchwagon Man:
By Ke 'Ope Ono (Island Groove Productions IGPD2010)

This sextet has a repertoire that defies easy labeling. Ke 'Ope Ono introduces itself with six originals performed in styles ranging from calypso-lite to acoustic pop; several are earnest odes to various family members and of interest mostly to the families. The title song is a calypso-vibe salute to the meals on wheels industry and includes a trite bit of dialect humor. A straight and crisp treatment of "Hualalai" adds a welcome Hawaiian sense of place to the collection.

Three pop chart remakes are done as basic cover band material but reflect the fact that Ke 'Ope Ono is a band that plays parties "both corporate and personal." This album is not likely to get much local radio play despite "Hualalai" but is certainly a fine advertising vehicle for the band's professional services.

http://ono.hypermart.net

MP3 Audio Clips:
Lunchwagon Man
I No Wanna Boy
Let Me Be
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

[ Discography | Official Website | Booking ]

In 1994, fellow musician friends from various careers and musical backgrounds decided to form a band to play on a casual basis. Today, Ke ‘Ope Ono (The Six Pack) announces the release of their first album entitled “Lunch Wagon Man”, produced by Ke ‘Ope Ono and Pierre Grill.

Ke 'Ope Ono enjoys performing the wide variety of regional musical styles which have come to be known as "Contemporary Hawaiian" music. The band members come from various musical backgrounds - going as far back as "Greenwood", a popular nightclub band in the Seventies. Ke 'Ope Ono now blends their music backgrounds, creating a fresh new sound.

Ke 'Ope Ono has been very busy trying to balance many performance engagements between themselves and as backup for the group "IMUA." The high point for them this year was being one of the winners at Mt. Kalihi Productions' "Battle for the Bash" which earned them a spot to play at the Makaha Bash 2000.

The "Lunch Wagon Man" album consists of 6 originals and 4 cover songs. "Lunch Wagon Man" is a tribute to the many hardworking lunch wagon operators throughout Hawaii. "Island Reggae", "I No Wanna Boy", "Let Me Be", and "Years Gone By" were written by Ke 'Ope Ono. These songs reflect life experiences by the members of the band. "How Can I Be Sure", "If", "Hualalai", and "Flying" are remakes of Ke 'Ope Ono favorites composed and/or performed by The Young Rascals, David Gates, The Makaha Sons, and Peter Moon respectively.

Over the years, audiences have asked about the possibility of Ke 'Ope Ono recording an album so that they can listen to "The Six Pack" at home, work, or in a car……well here it is!……Enjoy!

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