The humble origins of the Pure Heart trio date back to 1994 when Jon Yamasato and Jake Shimabukuro, still attending Kaimuki High School, talked about playing ukulele together. While working at the House of Music at the Ala Moana Shopping center, Jake met percussionist Lopaka Colón, a professional musician who recorded on Robert Kekaula’s first album. When it was slow at the store; the two would jam on all the musical instruments on display. After a few rehearsals, the band was formed.
With some encouragement, the group recorded a demo to get more gigs. They admit they weren’t always great ones and Yamasato’s parents usually shuttled them around – Jake didn’t even have his driver’s license yet.
After paying their dues, Pure Heart returned to the studio to record an entire album in 1998. “I remember the day our album debuted, one of the local radio stations played our album straight through,” recalled Shimabukuro.
Each member’s musical influences – Latin, reggae, jazz, classical, and Hawaiian – contributed to the band’s unique sound, and they started getting wider recognition. “It was a mix of everything from mimicking tropical bird calls, some Ernie Cruz influence, to Jake playing Sebastian Bach,” Colón noted in our pre-show interview.
In 1999, Pure Heart’s self-titled debut CD won 4 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, as voted by the public.
Two more albums followed before the group went their separate ways. Guitarist Yamasato earned another Nā Hōkū for his solo album and is now the producer for HiSession, a popular entertainment YouTube channel. Shimabukuro has become one of the world’s renowned ukulele music artists, and percussionist Colón continued his musical passions and plays with Hawaii’s top-notch musicians and the Grammy-nominated band Wild Hawaiian.
The last time Pure Heart played the Big Island was twenty-four years ago at Hilo’s Ho’olaule’a festival. Last Sunday, they thrilled their faithful fans with a reunion performance at the Kahilu Theatre. Their high-energy concert was a mix of fun, talk story, and nostalgia. The crowd loved the laid-back kanikapila vibe with no structured setlist.
Show highlights included when Colón stepped out from his massive 20-piece percussion set-up to play a solo instrument like the djembe, a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum from West Africa. Lopaka is the son of musician Augie Colón, who created all the exotic jungle sounds for Martin Denny’s band, and Lopaka carries the exotica movement forward.
Shimabukuro rocked the house on numbers like the mesmerizing “Bodysurfing” and “Serrano.” He just completed a six-week tour of the States, and you may have seen him in December for his “Christmas in Hawaii” concert at the Kahilu.
Yamasato is the steady force in the trio. Between his smooth voice, expert rhythm guitar work and bass line fills, he holds down the fort while the other two sail off with wild solos.
Pure Heart is working on new material for their third studio album, simply titled 3, released hopefully by the end of the year. “Old Kaimuki,” a song by O’ahu musician John Feary, will be one of the tracks.
Missed the show? Don’t despair. You still can catch the concert on Kahilu.TV.
Setlist
Bring Me Your Cup| Crazy Without You | Europa | Green Rose Hula | Molokai Sweet Home | Bodysurfing | Old Kaimuki | Koke`e | Tracks of my Tears | Serrano | Hey Baby | Without You (I Don’t Know) | Kailua Kona | How Can I Get Over | Tokada |
Han hou: You Don’t Write
Concert date: 06/FEB/2022
About the author: Steve Roby is a music journalist, best-selling author, and editor of Big Island Music Magazine.
Photos: Steve Roby