Today’s #songoftheday is a cover of Bob Marley’s Guava Jelly by the Ka’au Crater Boys. Originally released in 1971 as a 7” single (Wikimedia Foundation, n.d.). The song was made famous with Johnny Nash’s cover in 1972. Barbra Streisand also covered the song in 1974. However, I think this is a superior cover with the ukulele adding extra flavor.
The Ka’au Crater Boys were a popular duo in the 1990s, releasing four studio albums and a Best Of compilation (Coleman, 2016). The duo was composed of Ernie Cruz Jr. and Troy Fernandez. They won an Nā Hōkū Hanohano award for Best Contemporary Album in 1995. They were voted the Best Group in Hawaii by Honolulu Magazine. Before they began recording in 1991, Cruz Jr. let Fernandez know that he would eventually want to do other things and left the duo in 1997 at the height of their success. Ernie Cruz Jr. passed away in 2016 at the age of 56 (Star-Advertiser Staff, 2016). Troy Fernandez continues to produce music. His most recent EP is Blanco Negro released in 2020.
Guava Jelly has sexual overtones and guava jelly likely refers to a lubricant.
I said come rub it ‘pon me belly wit’ you guava jelly
Photo credit: Star Advertiser
References
Coleman, A. (2016, February 24). Troy Fernandez Talks Life After the Ka'au Crater Boys and How He Kept Strumming. Retrieved from Ukulele Mag: https://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/troy-fernandez-talks-life-after-the-kaau-crater-boys-and-how-he-kept-strumming
Star-Advertiser Staff. (2016, September 20). Hawaii Musician Ernie Cruz, Jr. dies. Retrieved from Star Advertiser: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/09/20/breaking-news/hawaii-musician-ernie-cruz-jr-dies-at-sandy-beach/
Wikimedia Foundation. (n.d.). Guava Jelly (song). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava_Jelly_(song)