The Waikiki Leaks - Swing Luau (2019)

BBE Music presents ‘Swing Luau’ an album by ‘The Waikiki Leaks‘, an Italian band venturing into the world of Hawaiian music. Combining Hula, Jazz and Swing styles, the group regularly has dance floors bouncing and listeners’ ears flapping across Italy.

Francesca Faro, also known as Jazz singer “Miss Faro”, has specialized in Swing vocals of the ’30s and 40s. Her voice is inspired by singers like Peggy Lee, Anita O’Day, Helen Foster and Doris Day, to name just a few. In The Waikiki Leaks “Miss Faro” has merged her vocal style with the sounds of Hawaiian music, reinforcing the Swing component of the Hapa Haole genre.

A “cool jazz” aficionado, Filippo Delogu devoted himself to swing music and traditional Jazz from a very young age, becoming a respected rhythm guitarist in the Roman Jazz scene. He brings his solid big band background to the rhythm section of The Waikiki Leaks, contributing to the subtle dialogue between his guitar and Flavio’s steel guitar along with his tight crisp solos.

Alfredo Romeo, a long-time swing drummer, bringing to The Waikiki Leaks his vast knowledge of Afro-Cuban music, enriching the drums with various percussion aids. Have a listen to “Little Brown Gal” and you will understand what I mean.

Double Bass player Light Palone brings a strong Blues and Swing inspired style to The Waikiki Leaks. Taking inspiration from players such as Walter Brown, Red Callender and Eddie Calhoun to name just three.

Flavio Pasquetto, as founding member of The Waikiki Leaks, plays Steel Guitar, ukulele, glockenspiel and sings. In his career as a musician he has focused on Swing, Western Swing, American Roots and Honky Tonk, joining several bands along the way specialising in these genres. Over the years Flavio has developed a profound passion for the music of Hawaii and a great respect for its culture. For this album Flavio chose some well-known standards of the Hapa Haole (Hawaiian Swing) repertoire, as well as some Swing classics, and wrote arrangements for the Trio and the Quintet, adding his personal touch to the music and building on each band member’s talents and skills. The result is a unique sound, combining Hawaiian music with Jazz and Swing. The Waikiki Leaks take inspiration from the great players and musicians from the golden age of Hawaiian Music, Andy Iona and his Islanders, The Hawaiian Village Serenaders with Jules Ah See and Alfred Apaka, David Keli’i, Pua Almeida and The Sunset Serenaders and Billy Hew Len to name a few.