Album Notes

Akimbo Productions, LLC is pleased to announce the release of the debut solo album from Hawai’i vocal artist, performer, and former Miss Hawai'i, Cheryl Bartlett. Entitled, “Like Ocean, Like Lace”, the CD was produced by local legend Audy Kimura with additional production credits going to Joey Wolpert (of rRed Elephant Studio fame) and Beto Beserra (Brazilian-born, grammy nominated bassist from Japan).

All of the twelve songs featured on the CD are original compositions from Hawai’i songwriters with nine of the selections written by Cheryl herself, two from honored island composer Herb Mahelona, and one samba written especially for Cheryl by Hawaii’s world jazz-man Bailey Matsuda.

Described as rhythmic, lyrical, and uplifting, the album features several songs in the Brazilian bossa-nova style with other influences from soft rock to Hawaiian slack-key, middle eastern dance, music of the Andes, and American blues. To honor the traditions which have influenced her life, Cheryl offers lyrics in the English, Spanish, Portuguese and Farsi languages with Hawaiian place and personal names featured in two of the selections.

The musicians featured on the album are equally as diverse, with guitarist Bobby Nishida, bassist Ben “Lono” Kaumeheiwa, and percussionist Rogerio Araujo providing the core of “the studio band”. Other island artists featured on the CD include Hawaiian slack-key master Ozzie Kotani , Rockford Holmes on flutes, John Kolivas on acoustic bass, von Baron with percussion, and Ivan Krillzarin on middle eastern percussion.

“Like Ocean, Like Lace” also features a music video, “Fallen Woman” written by Cheryl and directed by award-winning film director Michael Wurth. Many of Cheryl’s friends participated in the making of the video from production crew to dancers. It is a reflection of the loving, expressive, and ultimately feminine spirit of the album.