Banana Boat Rider

Please read all the great information about this CD, but if you just are looking to contact us directly, here's that info first: Greg and Junko MacDonald Ph. 808-735-6003 (that's our home in Hawaii) email: gmacd@aloha.net For bio information, performance history, etc., scroll down past three paragraphs. Now, on with this wonderful CD. Banana Boat Rider won best World Album/Artist at the 1999 Hawaii Music Awards!! We have added very interesting character instruments on this recording and blended them with the pan. For example, accordion by Pierre Grill from France adds a fresh twist, and Hawaiian lap steel guitar by Charlie Fukuba on Brown Eyed Girl is really something different for calypso. This is a happy, toe tappin' collection of Caribbean and Caribbean-like tunes. For example, the Japanese folk song Sukiyaki is done calypso style! IkoIko, a New Orleans standard, is done in both hand jive and zydeco. Red Red Wine is slowed down, and has extra steel drums added for a 'fat' sound. This album was inspired by Harry Belafonte, for whom we had the great pleasure of being the pre concert entertainment during his 1997 tour in Hawaii. For custom audio or MP3 CD's, contact Greg, gmacd@aloha.net, and you can choose/pay for just the songs you want from our six CD's. To see and hear all recordings by us, scroll down to 'Try This,' located on the lower left of your screen, then look for 'GALLERIES this is in Greg MacDonald,' and click on it. Bio: We are an instrumental duo. I play parallel lead pans (higher register) and Junko plays double seconds (lower register). You can see our picture on the album Sweet Dreaming, located in this site, see below for directions how to get there. My introduction to pan was at the University of California, Berkeley. Having been a professional trap set drummer, I took a class at Berkeley in 1985, and fell in love with steel drums. For that year I performed with the Berkeley Steel Orchestra, then moved to Hawaii. Junko and I met at a Christmas party in 1994. She liked the sound of the instrument and began coming to band rehearsals, later learning a few tunes and sitting in with us. Her musical background is classical piano, so she had a well trained ear and picked up pan quickly. By 1996 we had formed a duo, and a couple years later got married. She is from Tokyo and is the world's first professional female Japanese pan player. Our cultural and musical differences help to define our sound. We are dedicated to this instrument, which is another story, too long for here. Credits: We have provided pre concert entertainment for Harry Belafonte, Jimmy Buffet, Julio Iglesias and Kenny Loggins (all while they were in Hawaii.) Our corporate clients include: Sony, ATT, Coke Cola, Dr.

Pepper/7up, Coors, Intel, Taco Bell, Motorola, Cisco Systems, and dozens more. Our Latin album, Pan-a-Cabana, was featured in July 2002 on the largest Hispanic TV network in the world, Univision, broadcasting from Miami. In June 1999, we appeared on Home Shopping Network and set a new sales record (to that date). Contact info: If you are planning an event, we specialize in background music for weddings, dinners, cocktails, grand openings, registrations, etc. If you want a full calypso band, we can provide that also. Phone/fax (808) 735-6003, e-mail gmacd@aloha.net, or write to Greg and Junko MacDonald at PO Box 161083, Honolulu, HI 96816. Please email us to get on our mailing list. If you are planning your event through an agent, destination service, or other such provider, we would be happy to work with them to simplify your efforts. Coming to Hawaii? Please catch one of our free performances in the heart of Waikiki, at International Market Place, Food Court Stage, Sun and Tue, 7-9pm, under the Banyan Tree! Sometimes visitors get lost in the Market Place, if so, the Food Court Stage is in the back left if you enter from Kalakaua. Or, just ask a vendor. See ya there! You can purchase this CD now, at this site, by charge card, or toll free by phone if you prefer at 1-800-Buy-My-CD. Or, you can mail order from Greg and Junko directly