Hawai‘i ’13 (Easy Star Records, 2013)
The great Hawaiian reggae band is back in 2013 with a new studio album titled Hawai‘i ’13.The band is characterized by its combination of roots reggae with radio friendly pop, dub, blues, R&B, funk and rock elements.
Hawai‘i ’13 was produced and engineered Danny Kalb, who is well known for his work with Ben Harper. “Danny was one of a few mixing engineers we had on our second album Ways & Means,” says guitarist and vocalist Zion Thompson. “We were really happy with his work on that project and his overall vibe seemed right so we asked him to be our main guy for this record and the results are pretty magical.”
Highlights on Hawai‘i ’13 include the vibrant bass-driven roots reggae pieces ‘Even Before’ and ‘Hold Me Tight’; and the keyboard-infused ‘Forgive Me.’
The title of the album, Hawai‘i ’13 has several meanings. “It’s also a reference to a song that we grew up with called “Hawai‘i ’78” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo‘ole,” clarifies Zion Thompson. “The song deals with the issues and ongoing conversations about the changes that have happened to our land and people. It questions how our ancestors would react to seeing things like over-crowding, technological advancements and unwanted industrial growth. Something that many people and cultures around the world can relate to, but is an ongoing issue to the people of Hawai‘i to this day and is still very fresh in our minds. On this record we wanted to encapsulate this push and pull feeling of both a connection to the past and a progression forward, all in one.”
Buy Hawai‘i ’13
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
