KIRI

Te Ao Hou, September 1966, Page 63

KIRI Kiri Te Kanawa with Orchestra and Chorus directed by Oswald Cheesman. Kiwi LC-31 12in 33⅓ LP Kiri's hundreds of fans are probably already snapping up this record which features Miss Te Kanawa singing songs from such shows as West Side Story, Sound of Music, Showboat and Porgy and Bess as well as a song from Carmen and some pop numbers—altogether a very catholic selection. Her singing in some of the items is a little tame. She is really at her best in songs which offer scope for the dramatic rather than in feather-weight strict tempo stuff. The contrast can be seen on the first two tracks of side one—the first of which is I Feel Pretty (pretty … what? one wonders) and the second is a much more satisfying rendition of Lecuona's Malaguena. However, all-in-all this record features a light-hearted Kiwi full of the joys of life and singing and that is probably how most people will like to remember her during her long sojourn overseas.