Social media is a marvelous thing. Case in point: I tweeted about Babadu a few months ago and @itsscottyk retweeted. Turns out it was drummer Scott Koher, who played on Babadu’s album and a number of other Hawaiian soul, jazz, and funk recordings.
Aloha Got Soul just got more fans in South America, thanks to the Brazilian black music blog known as coletivoACTION, which features rare groove music from around the world. Check out the mixtape “E komo mai! The cozy grooves of Hawaii” plus an interview with yours truly.
“Polynesian Girl” by Brandon Bray & Brown Spice
After some 40 years, the Glass Candle Band once again proves they are one of Hawaii’s best performing acts. Glass Candle rocked their reunion show at Hawaiian Brian’s for a remarkable end to 2011.
“In My Eyes” by Stacie Johnson
Bassist Eddie Tsuru emailed me in June to see if I had Brandon Bray’s first single, “Glad You’re In My Life”. Unfortunately, I’ve never heard the song. But our subsequent interview revealed an impressive number of bands Eddie performed with, from fusion group Merlin to wedding entertainers Kaleidescope.
Time is a fragile thing. Each year melts away faster than the last. For musicians, recording a song is the single greatest tactic to beat the effects of time. Luckily for Glass Candle, their music lives on.
Last week BBC Radio 6 DJ Craig Charles gave a huge shoutout to Aloha Got Soul before spinning a Jazzman reissue of Lemuria’s “Hunk of Heaven”. After the song ends, Craig calls out to his listeners asking for “funky facts about Hawaii”. Here’s a handful of gospel truths about Hawaii’s funk and soul music scene.
Nothing compares to that laid-back island sound—Hawaiian soul music—so cruise, it’s like sticking your hand out the car window to slice the wind on your way toward the North Shore. Your fingers take flight like a free bird on a backdrop of green mountains, pineapple fields and island music.
My excitement for Aloha Got Soul shot to new levels this weekend after learning that Funk and Soul DJ Craig Charles broadcast those three precious words—aloha got soul—to the eager ears of thousands of music fans worldwide on BBC Radio 6.
