Stories

Join us this Sunday 12pm-6pm for our shop’s 3-Year Anniversary and Release Party for Speaking Brown (AGS-082). 12-5pm EP Bar Pop-upSage Creamery on the house @sagecreamery Highballs on the house @epbarwith resident DJsGrantbe.illAnelaKamaluWinzel 5-6pm Brother Noland release partyLive performance by @brothernolandFree and open to the public! Speaking Brown (AGS-082) is Brother Noland’s magnum opus, an essential album that paved the way for modern Hawaiian music. Official vinyl reissue available on black vinyl and limited maroon vinyl.

Continuing our interview with Brother Noland, whose debut LP, Speaking Brown, helped to shape the sound of modern Hawaiian music.  In part 2 of this interview (read part 1 here), Brother Noland talks about specific songs, getting to know Gabby Pahinui and his three sons, working with Mountain Apple Company, what the musical landscape was like during the 1980s, putting the album together with the help of friends and family, and how he hopes Speaking Brown will be received in the 21st century.  Tell me what the song "Look What They've Done" is about.  If you listen to it today, if you’re familiar with...

Brother Noland is a well-spring of inspiration and knowledge. His roots hold deep in both urban and natural environments in the Hawaiian Islands, and his influences comes from around the world. In preparation for the reissue of Noland's 1980 debut LP, Speaking Brown, we chatted with him about his music, growing up, and what it means to "speak brown".  Roger Bong: Tell me your name. Where you’re from. Who you are. Brother Noland: So, you know my name already [laughs]. Pretty much raised in the inner city. And then having the opportunity to be raised also on the outskirts of the Big...

Japan is a special place for Aloha Got Soul. We've been traveling to the country since 2017, and since our first gig there we've been encountering warm embraces and smiling faces from people who love the music of Hawaii. Every event brings together music fans who appreciate the sound of our islands, and want to hear more of the rich tapestry of song that permeates Hawaii's past and present. This May, with the support of RUSH Production, we played two magnificent venues: DJ BAR Bridge Shinjuku, and Greenroom Festival in Yokohama.  Here's a recap of the two events and highlights our week-long adventure.     We arrived...

I wasn’t alive when Brother Noland released Speaking Brown. The year was 1980, and the influences of artists like The Sunday Manoa, Gabby Pahinui, Olomana, and Keola and Kapono Beamer resonated throughout the islands as they heralded a new sound of and for modern indigenous peoples, part of the cultural revolution known as the Hawaiian Renaissance. On the other side of 1970s island life, bands like Kalapana, Country Comfort, and Cecilio & Kapono were shaping a contemporary sonic identity for locals — indigenous and otherwise — blending rock, soul, country, and jazz into a pleasant pop blend that continues to...