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About the CD
It’s not every day that you see a local Hawaiian boy playing solid rock songs and singing mainstream-style ballads— but then,
Koa’s not you’re every-day musician. The son of Hawaii’s most innovative recording duo, Leon and Malia, Koa’s always had music
in his roots… and now the mango tree is ripe to overflowing!
Pushing way out past the borders of ‘Hawaiian Music’, Koa reaches for a melody that resonates across the lines of genre and style.
From the grit of electric guitar and driving rock drums in I Thrive to the earthy sound of nylon-string
and djembe in Here I Am, Koa’s versatile songwriting and musicianship shine. Koa’s not your typical
cover-artist, authoring 13 original songs for this album. With his accessible lyrics and razor-sharp voice, Koa has a knack for
cutting listeners right to the heart.
The electricity and power of his live performance translates well onto this new recording. Hope Will Find A Way,
Overcome, and Surprised By You are ‘10s’ in the move-and-groove category. God, if
You’re Real, Inside Out, and People of Faith bust through all
pretense with their raw passion. And the title track, Where You Are rings out a cry of love from the very
roots of the soul.
Just when you think you’ve got this ‘Aiea boy figured out, the next track peels off a new dimension. The poignant, unforgettable
lament of Great Day, featuring Kawika Kahiapo of Kaukahi,
weaves together a lei of grief and hope. The poetry of Here I Am and Let Go slices
deep and somehow speaks the words into the core of our being that we’ve always longed to hear. The lone cover-track, Grace Like
Rain pours down healing like Manoa mist in this fresh version of the classic song Amazing Grace.
To top it all off, watch out for the love songs! Especially Adam & Eve, which Koa wrote for his wife Sarah
and performed as a surprise DURING his wedding ceremony. It’s hard to believe that a Waialua girl and an Aiea boy getting married in
Moanalua could cause a miracle— but we just might be seeing one here as this song is poised to become the next world-standard wedding song!
These days it seems like Hawaiian musicians are sprouting like bamboo on the Ko‘olaus— but in the forest of local music, it’s nice
to know you can still find the rare KOA.
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