Taimane Gardner, Waikiki’s princess of ‘ukulele, has taken her mean talent from the corner of Kalakaua and Lili‘uokalani Avenues and committed it to disc. Anyone who’s cruised the strip on a Friday night knows that the ocean of people gathered outside the Pacific Beach Hotel isn’t there for the silver guy—they’re there to catch 16-year-old Gardner rip on her electric uke to the tune of Pink Floyd and AC/DC.
She opens her new release with “Surfin’ Medley,” a trio of “Johnny B. Good,” “Surfin’ USA,” and, of course, “Wipe Out.” Her fast fingers don’t miss a thing and the medley comes together like a barrel and a short board. She closes the album with her self-arranged version of “Carol of the Bells.” An odd choice, perhaps, but a wise one for an artist whose versatility—as much as her pure musical talent—is what makes her a stand-out in the saturated local market. Her traditional “Nani Wai‘ale‘ale,” her mellow, island-style version of Lloyd William’s “Shama Lama Ding Dong,” her serene “For Elise” and her jazzy, downtempo version of the Jesse Harris/Nora Jones hit “Don’t Know Why” all confirm what her street fans already knew—Gardner is a star. Or is that a shining Diamond?

Recent CDs for award contention

HAWAIIAN CONCERT CALENDAR supplied by Fanaddicts