Stories — Bands / Artists

Hawaii's jazz-funk-fusion pioneers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Music Magic, released two albums to their name. They gigged to sold out crowds in Honolulu after their single, "One Man Lady", hit the scene. Music Magic reunion: September 30th – October 1st, 2011 in Honolulu, Hawaii! Jump to the Aloha Got Soul music mix L-R: Jay Molina, Fred Schreuders, Darryl Blouin, Al Pascua. Stylistically, the band's sound changed drastically from their self-titled debut to their sophomore release, One Man Lady. Each LP is a far cry from the other, and I've always wondered why. The debut album is loaded...

Over coffee on a Sunday morning last month I chatted with Robin Kimura, the bandleader of Greenwood, a brass-heavy funk band that played almost every club in Honolulu back in the 70s. As the driving force behind the 70s Night Club Reunion, Robin recently found a spark of inspiration that renewed his passion for music. He's led Greenwood in a string of celebrated reunion shows, 20 years after Greenwood disbanded in the 1980s. He also performs with his new group, RKSB, or Royal Kunia Street Band. (Not the Robin Kimura's Street Band, but close!) We talked for over an hour....

Update: Mahalo to Greenwood’s Wayne Nakamura (Bari, Tenor, Alto Saxes) for putting all these displays together! When I arrived at the 70s Night Club Reunion last weekend, I immediately took notice to the row of memorabilia that filled half a dozen display boards. It was the first thing I saw, and it mesmerized me. 'Memory Lane' you might call it, though it was more of an extended corner that showcased clippings from Honolulu newspapers, night club posters, discotheque stationary and souvenirs, vintage photos of friends and a scattering of set lists from Greenwood. Some of the set lists were long....

UPDATE: 2017 sees the return of 70s NCR with Mike Lundy and Aura! August 5, 2017 at the Ala Moana Hotel. Forty years in the making, the last reunion concert featuring Hawaii's biggest disco, funk, soul and R&B acts from the seventies finally came to an end Saturday night at the Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Ballroom. Pauline Wilson captivated the crowd. It was a blast, every band went all out, everyone was in high spirits. The dancefloor was jam-packed from the very first song to the last! For now, some thoughts on this year's 70s Night Club Reunion (the last...

"Blame it on the Night" by Fabulous Krush Hal Bradbury was the lead singer for The Krush, an essential band in the contemporary Hawaiian music scene. He still lives on Oahu and sings this song for his grandchildren!