Originally released within a few years of
Apaka's death,
Hawaiian Favorites includes a number of the basic works of modern Hawaiian song, as only the descendant of Queen Liliuokalani could perform. The songs gently swing over topics of the luau and pretty hula girls, with
Apaka crooning to his fullest the whole way. The sound is stereotypical of the Hawaiian sounds that blanketed the movies, radio waves, and lounge acts of the '60s. That said,
Apaka is the classic singer of the era, as popular as
Don Ho with perhaps more innovation (coming a little earlier) and arguably a better crooning voice. The album is mildly short, originally fitting on an LP, but what time is spent on it is time well spent. Fans of the old Hawaiian sound will enjoy this album as thoroughly or more so than any other given
Apaka or
Ho album (barring any special affinities for "Tiny Bubbles"). ~ Adam Greenberg