This record changed Hawaii forever.
Fronted by songwriters Mackey Feary and Malani Bilyeu, with guitarist DJ Pratt (who recently passed away... RIP) and keyboardist Kirk Thompson (of Lemuria legend), their debut shaped the sound of a contemporary Hawaii in the 1970s, a sound that is still embedded in our islands.
To this day, the music of Kalapana defies categorization — is it jazz? rock? pop? R&B? — the band fills a space uniquely its own. Kalapana has always been difficult to define, especially their first album which remains the pinnacle of modern music from Hawaii. The band was so in tune with its own style and extremely motivated to live up to the songwriting and recording standards of the day (think The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, CSNY, Eric Clapton, Hall & Oates, James Taylor), that the resulting LP was an instant success that left a massive impact on local artists. The eleven songs represents a style uniquely Kalapana's own, and we're extremely honored to reissue this masterpiece back onto vinyl.
Our greatest hope is this official vinyl reissue will continue to perpetuate Kalapana's musical legacy for Hawaii and the world to enjoy.
Our official vinyl reissue is available in multiple variants based on song titles:
- “Nightbird” (black vinyl)
- “Naturally” (clear vinyl)
- “To Be True” (forest green vinyl) **only available via Bandcamp →
Pre-order now →
Vinyl arrives March 2022.
Ever since we opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Honolulu, not a day goes by without someone asking us if we have a copy of Kalapana for sale. We rarely do, because copies of the original have dried up in recent years. What used to be a staple in our local record shops and thrift stores is now increasingly a hard-to-find item.