Stories

Announcing our Japan Tour 2024: Aloha Got Soul's Roger Bong and O'Spliff return to Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and many more for two weeks in 10 cities. Check out the full tour schedule:  Oct 3 (Thu) — Kakogawa at Room2 Coffee & Roaster Oct 4 (Fri) — Osaka at BAR Inc Oct 5 (Sat) — Hiroshima at 音楽食堂ONDOOct 6 (Sun) — Nishiwaki at Hot Spot NishiwakiOct 7 (Mon) — Okayama at DJ BAR 芽楼 -Mellow-Oct 8 (Tue) — Gifu at green yangOct 10 (Thu) — Nagoya at 24PILLARSOct 11 (Fri) — Tokyo at BLUE NOTE PLACEOct 12 (Sat) — Niigata at Bar HallelujahOct 13 (Sun) — Tokyo at...

Slack key, or kī hō’alu, is one of the most important genres of music in Hawaii’s musical history. It is a staple in our culture, and inherently Hawaiian, combining traditional chant with various musical influences from around the world. The name refers to the technique of loosening (or “slack”-ening) the strings, and predominantly plucking instead of strumming whilst playing.  The guitar as an instrument was enjoyed as far back as the days of Kalākaua in Hawaii, with it being noted that guitars were used in his coronation in 1883. A musical style developed in the 1870s, named “hula ku’i”, combined...

Hawaii can be called a “mixed plate” of people. Diverse communities from all around the world have travelled to Hawaii since the days of sugar plantations and made it their home. This is reflected in many aspects of the mixed plate culture, from the wide assortment of pidgin words originating elsewhere to the plate lunches we enjoy that could be seen as random to outsiders. It reflects in our music as well, and one of the best examples of that is the unknown “faux-Polynesian” genre of Exotica. Let us dip our toes into this wonderous world of sound…  (This post...

We're honored and happy to present "Hibiscus" on vinyl for the first time, with the instrumental versions on the B side (currently not available anywhere else). Hibiscus is a much-loved EP from producer Pana, with six songs featuring five singers in a laid back, lovers rock, local style session. Originally released it in 2020, this EP is full of joy and light — and has already made its mark throughout the islands (we hear "Your Lovin' Is Enough" on the radio all the time). We hope this vinyl release can help "Hibiscus" gain even more fans in Hawaii and across the...

Aloha Got Soul is pleased to announce Bitta Attack, the newest release from Jah Gumby. Based in Palolo Valley, Honolulu, the producer and multi-instrumentalist brings shimmering musical diversity and crate-digging sensibility to his four-track EP.   Two high-energy, progressive reggae tunes, “Dine An’ Dash” and “Influencers.m.h.", draw a link to his 2018 release Humility: The Vibes of Jah G (AGS-LP005), a double LP that presented Jah Gumby’s masterful ability to create rich arrangements with overwhelming instrumental density. The 2LP remains a crowning achievement in the vast universe of reggae music, in which Jah Gumby has created a galaxy all his...