Stories

Like what I do here? My mission is to share 1970s and 1980s Hawaiian funk/soul/jazz music with the world, but sometimes I don't have more than a moment to post something worthwhile. That's why Aloha Got Soul is on Twitter and Facebook. These social platforms let me share my thoughts with fans of Aloha Got Soul, whether I'm at the record store digging for Hawaiian LPs or kickin' it with fellow music lovers @lightsleepers. While you wait for the next blog post, interview, music video or album discovery... Connect with Aloha Got Soul here and here. Mahalo!

My interview with Robin Kimura was lengthy (in a good way), but not nearly as long as the extended performances Greenwood played at Waikiki's popular discos back in the 1970s. Greenwood started out in Waikiki clubs as the 'off-night' band—when a club's main performer had the night off. But when it came to Mackey Feary, Greenwood actually played after the Mackey Feary Band—sometimes with Mackey joining the funky ensemble for songs like 'Nightbird' and 'The Hurt'! Here's another excerpt of my interview with Robin, as promised in part one. This time, Rob remembers Mackey and the Magic Mushroom, a Honolulu...

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....

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you might've noticed a barrage of tweets last night linking to videos of Aura, Power Point, Phase 7, Nueva Vida (with Lil Albert and Carla Young Elsman), and Greenwood rocking some heavy disco-era tunes. Those were just 5 teaser videos that Irwin 'Supes' Santos posted to YouTube the other day, giving Hawaiian funk/soul discotheque fans a taste of the upcoming 70s Night Club Reunion live DVD set. Keep in mind: these videos feature rough audio mixdowns—and are not the finished product! For that, you've got to order the DVD! Good news:...

Fans of the musically masterful Al Nobriga probably wonder what he's been up to ever since moving to Nashville, Tennessee some 15+ years ago. Nobriga was a staple in the Waikiki club scene and recorded a number of albums filled with original compositions and a few covers. Guess what, Al's keeping the music alive at St. Bernard Academy, a Catholic independent school with acclaimed academic curricula and nearly 150 years of existence. "Mr. Al was a musical institution in Waikiki playing many of the night spots and recording three albums. In 1973, he wrote and recorded a song that won...