Stories — Interviews
Aura: Familial Music with Familiar Connections
There's no question that Aura's sole album needs to be heard once again. It's an undeniably potent blend of jazz and funk highlighted by the Mendoza family's signature sound: an unstoppable horn section with two sisters as lead vocalists.
Interview: Al Nobriga, "You don't choose music. Music chooses you."
Al Nobriga graduated from high school in Kauai in 1960. Following graduation, he moved to Oahu and attended Brigham Young University from 1960 to 1965. He started playing music in 8th grade. Nobriga's entire family is musical, and they'd have kanikapila's (jam sessions) on Kauai often. Nobriga remembers that his uncle had a Gibson Sunburst guitar, and that he was intrigued by it. "I watched him play it and I loved it. He showed me a couple chords. My aunt had an old guitar that was in the closet. put some strings on it and I started messing around, made...
Interview: Maryanne Ito "I’m ready to spread my wings and take flight."
I sometimes get asked about current soul music from Hawaii. Spending so much of my time focusing on a very particular era of soul music from the islands, I admit find myself caught off-guard when faced with such an inquiry. Thanks to several tips, namely from my buddy JBMbeatz, prominent Honolulu DJ Bennie James, and my fiancé, I picked up Maryanne Ito's debut album Waking Up from Hungry Ear Records. Dear lord is it good. A week or so later, Bennie and I chatted on the phone. Bennie's taken on the role of manager for Maryanne and has successfully arranged...
Interview: Rob Butler of Be With Records announces Nohelani Cypriano LP reissue this August
What follows is a recent discussion I had with record label owner Rob Butler, who runs the London-based Be With Records which, since its inception in May 2014, has released a steady string of solid reissues that dance across a landscape of good music. ORDER NOW: Nohelani Cypriano Nohelani LP reissue available from Be With Records. I was relieved, then, to learn late last year that Rob had secured the rights to reissue Nohelani Cypriano's debut LP, Nohelani, on vinyl. Relieved because Rob cherishes music for what it is—food for the soul—not so much for its collectability. In my mind,...
Interview: Brendan Smith of Request Music on Maui
Last August I took a trip to Maui, during which I drove the Road To Hana, proposed to my girlfriend, and went hunting for records in the basement of Wailuku’s Request Music, the only record store on the island. It was there I met Brendan Smith, the shop’s general manager. With Record Store Day now nearly a month behind us, I decided to spend more time getting to know Brendan, his involvement with Request Music, his awesome #sleevefaceoff contest idea that (unfortunately) no one entered, and his take on the annual frenzy we call Record Store Day. Note: an edited...