As vocalist, she is at ease and projects grace and knowledge of the Hawaiian language on "Pauoa Liko Ka Lehua" ... and convincing sounds like an Island native. Rendering several co-compositions with producer Keith Haugen, Kimura's precision and command of material are the perfect bridge to meld Hawai'i and Japan ties; just give a quick listen to "Mokupuni Nui," "E Hula Mai 'Oe" and "Ka Pua."

As composer, her "He Hawai'i Au" is widely applauded, establishing roots here, fertilized by the Haugen 'ohana (Keith and Carmen) which timed the release of this CD to this weekend's slack-key guitar festival Sunday at Kapi'olani Park Bandstand. (See Page 21 for more details).

Since gracing a slack-key festival in 1990, Kimura has built on this foundation. She is Hawaiian at heart.

The 14 tracks, culled from four previous albums, includes hapa-haole ("Kaimana Hila") and Nippon ("Koko Ni Sachi Ari" and "Hole Hole Bushi," both sung in Japanese) tunes, reflecting the best of both her worlds.

The playful "In a Little Hula Heaven," the rollicking "Hawaiian War Chant," the subtle "Soft Green Seas," the dreamy "Old Plantation," the jaunty "Hula Blues" are stuff from the nostalgia bag.

While it is not Hawaiian, the Hollywoodish "Moon of Manakoora" evokes the tropical paradise of old, so its inclusion here is somewhat logical.