Back On the Blogosphere!

I'm not much for New Year's Resolutions, but I have always wanted to improve my writing skills. As a performer, I've learned that putting yourself out in front of people forces you take "getting better" seriously. So here I am, putting myself out there. But not without some personal guidelines ...

Kaleo's Personal Guidelines For Blogging

1. Post once a week. This is often enough to be a challenge without being a burden. But no more than three times per week.
2. Be (tastefully) honest about yourself. Experiment with varying levels of transparency and opacity for, you know, intrigue.
3. Discuss nature and larger truths (basically, things other than yourself).
4. Edify. This blog will not be a place for complaining.
5. Use Pictures. Everybody likes pictures.
6. Edit. Show people you care.

Enjoy! I am open to comments and recommendations.

KdS

the Monastery

I live in a house that my roommates refer to as the Monastery. It is not an actual monastery, but a spacious house on a hill with a magnificent view of Diamond Head where a bunch of single, Christian males spend a significant amount of their free time in prayer and quiet introspection.

On any given day, I can see whether or not Cliffs - about three to five miles away - is breaking. Right now it's not. This morning is cloudy and the streets are slick black, but the sheen should disappear at around noon, along with the clouds, to reveal the sunny splendor of East Honolulu.

This town is very special to me. Waialae Avenue, just a mile down the hill, has its own distinct character. Not that other streets don't -- Kapahulu has the feel of a small town, and then a beach city as you travel from mauka to makai. Kalakaua, though rife with upscale tourist traps, has retained some classic integrity with cobblestone and some very expensive street light fixtures. These avenues stand in contrast to the streets coursing through new cities like Kapolei. This town looks like it's trying to prove to the other towns that it's legit. I don't mean to discount its potential to be the economic hub of West Oahu, but it's like young America, prior to World War I, trying to find its place among longer-standing world powers. It's like a pretentious middle manager whose ego might be the proper size for him ten years from now ... maaaayybe. But until then, he seeks to prove what he suspects - but does not yet fully know - about himself. He reminds me of Kapolei.

And Kapolei sometimes reminds me of ... me.

I guess I love Waialae because it's all the things I want to be. Old school, yet hip. Busy, yet laid back. Professional, yet approachable. Upscale, yet attainable and generally fun to be around. In spite of all its paradoxes, what you see is what you get. It's an honest town, tried and true. Genuine. At least, that's the way I see it. And in time, that's the way I'd like people to see me.

These days I don't fall in love often ...

but when I do, it's with Roberta Sá.

Back at Studio Alamo ...

Last night was my first session of the year at Studio Ala Moana. The entire production team had been on break for the holidays ... from the project, that is. Both Shawn and Lehua (pictured above) each had their share of shows and international musician business throughout November and December.

This month, we're focusing on finishing Lehua's solo debut project. As of today, the record will be titled after a song I co-wrote with the Na Leo living legend when we first met in 2008. I won't say the name of it in case she happens to pull a switch between now and the printing date, but it's a huge honor and thrill for me - not only to have one of my songs be the title track but to even be invited into the studio in the first place.

Maybe I'm a little biased because I'm on the project, but the tracks are pretty ill. (Yes, "ill". Let's bring it back ... like "thrice" #biglovecoco) I think we have a good 3/4 of the album knocked down. Wish I could post a sample clip, but if i did, Shawn would never speak to me again =(

Lehua joked that she caused a traffic jam among the Koops2 artists because her project needs to release before any of the rest of us can get moving. I think next on the depth chart is my homegirl Yoza, Hawaii music's new golden child. I can call her my homegirl (I think) because since last month I've joined her writing team as well. We pumped out a wicked rhythm and bridge for one of her latest tunes about how good her man Randy Allen treats her.

More on all this as it develops.

Aloha nui,
KdS

Can't Say I Love You - Official Music Video

Can't Say I Love You - lyrics

Exclusive Online Release: October 12, 2010.
© Esperanza Records, Kaleo del Sol

When the light of the distant sunset fades

The Blue of the Night is impatient at my door

And though I’ve held him back before

It’s probably time that I let him in

I wish it were you,

but it can’t be anymore

But is it wrong

Missing your touch?

Can I be strong for the two of us?

Can you be strong for me because

I can’t say I love you no more

Even if I do

Can’t say I need you no more

Tell me what can I do?

Can’t say that I …

Evening arrives with an empty breeze

My heart fills the spaces with memories of you

With the sound of your breath as you start to speak

The scent of your skin when it’s pressed against my cheek

So is it wrong

Missing your touch?

Can I be strong for the two of us?

Can you be strong for me because …

I can’t say I love you no more

Even if I do

Can’t say I need you no more

Tell me what can I do?

Can’t say that I …

Want to be yours again

Break all the locks off the doors again

Leave every danger ignored and then

Nobody’s safe and secure

But when …

I can’t say I love you no more

Even if I do

Musicians Reaching Students at Nanakuli High

In September, I was invited by Na Leo to teach songwriting skills to students at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School, and to prepare a few of the them to track in the studio for a final project. Also joining us in the classroom were two of Hawaii's most prominent record producers: Jeff Rasmussen and Shawn Pimental. Thanks again NLP, for the opportunity to share music with "Ka hanauna hou o Palikea"

Na Leo's Nalani Choy working out chord progressions with one of her students.


Producers Jeff Rasmussen and Shawn Pimental, back in school.


In Lehua's Hawaiian Language class, we came up with a chorus for their class song (written on the notebook):

Kulia i ka nu`u
Kulia i ka pono
Ka hanauna hou o Palikea

Striving for the highest
Striving for righteousness
The next generation of Palikea (Nanakuli)

"Aloha For Now" Lyrics - Official

I remember coming home before,

but it was nothing like this

I don’t recall a time I’ve missed you more than now

Not an hour ago I’d bidden you so long

So long ago, it seems

Aloha for now,

Don’t you ever think

That I won’t ever think of you

Don’t you dare to dream

That I won’t dare to dream of you

After all, it’s just aloha ... for now

Hello again to ordinary life

Hello to Mondays, hello responsibility

Goodbye to every single thing I tried to hold

Not a day ago I’d bidden you farewell

Well, it’s not fair at all

Aloha for now,

Don’t you ever think

That I won’t ever think of you

Don’t you dare to dream

That I won’t dare to dream of you

After all, it’s just aloha ... for now

See I won’t make promises to you,

won’t tell you every wish comes true

Or that all our plans will go

the way we hope they do

Don’t make your promises to me.

Don’t say that things weren’t meant to be

Cuz I’ll try my best

To see that goodbye’s nothing more than just

Aloha …

For now

National TV Debut

One of my songs, "Caramel Coffee" got played on the Today Show this morning during a segment about whether it's healthy for kids to drink coffee. It's meager, but it's a start. Thanks for the heads up, Greg! And thanks to Eldon for throwing this vid together. The song was engineered by Imua Garza and is available on iTunes.

Cheers,
Kaleo

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"Being Still and Doing Nothing ..."

"People want three things simultaneously from your next endeavor: They love what you did, so they want more of that. But they also want it to be totally different, because you have to show that you're reinventing yourself, à la Madonna. And they want it to be better. The same, different, and better. So, no pressure there. Done and done."

-Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and Commited

Can't make up my mind what the new single should be. I've been wanting to get in the studio and just record scratch tracks to as many songs as possible, but yesterday Shawn P. told me about some ideas he had for the one song we'd already started on.

The name of the song is "Let Me In" and it's inspired by a Rahsaan Patterson groove with some 80's background vocal flair. When I sang the lead the first time, Shawn called me back into the engineering room and told me I was singing it like I was grabbing someone by the cheeks and screaming, "Listen to me!" He told me to chill out more. We ran over it in the engineering room, sitting down, and apparently, I nailed the groove down in the office chair, so we proceeded to wheel the chair into the sound booth and adjusted the mics so I could sing it while leaning like a cholo.

The difference between the two takes was monumental. Until yesterday, every studio track I've sung was recorded while standing because, well, that's what your vocal coaches tell you. You sing better standing up because your core and diaphragm are doing this, that, and whatever. But there are so many different dimensions of music-making that sometimes the conventional rules simply don't apply. The point of this song is to make the listener comfortable, so what better way to make someone comfortable than to be comfortable yourself?

"Being still and doing nothing," says Jackie Chan, "are two very different things." A couple nights ago I went to see the new Karate Kid. It was awesome for several reasons 1) I love the original and thought they did a great job making it fresh, but somehow keeping it the same, 2) I got a kick (pun, I know) out of seeing Fresh Prince Jr. doing kung fu, and 3) it's been a while since I've had a nice date. Anyway, this time around, the young fighter's signature move is to exude such a strong calm that his opponent unknowingly mimics his actions and falls vulnerable to a flashy flip-kick.

Now you, O Valued Listener (or potential listener), are by no means the enemy, and I'm definitely not trying to trick you, but I think the signature move still applies. Good music, I've learned, is never about the singer; it's about the listener. If I'm relaxed while recording, then hopefully, you will be relaxed while listening. Some of this stuff is going to be familiar, some of it will be different, and all of it - I'm sure - will be better. But it's all for you. And I know it's been a while since I've put anything out there, but I haven't spent all this time doing nothing.

I'm just being still.

Peace,
Kaleo

Good Pace

Laid another track at Studio Ala Moana w/ Shawn P. yesterday. We never spend more than three hours on one track in one session. Seems that's just enough time to squeeze all the creative juice without drying out our brains. "This is a good pace," he says as we're wrapping up, and I believe him - not necessarily because I agree, but because I trust him. Truth is, after completing one meager studio project two years ago, I have no concept of what "good pace" is in record-making because I was so intent on getting it done. I do, however, understand what good chemistry is, and I'm certain that's what's happening at Studio Ala Moana.

I'm getting good at waiting. In previous years, I saw time as the enemy, armed with weapons of boredom, frustration, depression and insanity. These days, I'm seeing time as a key ally. The more time we take on the project, the more our ideas mature as they're fleshed out in the studio week after week, the more the band will be sensitive to subtle clues, the more skilled and prepared I'll be to take the stage by the time the record drops.

The track we worked on yesterday was for my R&B project, but we're still working on completing Lehua's contemp solo album, which is slated to release first. All the instrument tracks are done, so all that's left is to lay vocals down, then mix and master.

I don't know what my life will look like after this year. Could it be possible that for the rest of my life I will be suspended in a perpetual state of waiting? I realize this sounds ridiculous, but as a dear friend of mine told me a few months ago, that's how I seemed to live. "With you, it's always the next thing," he told me one afternoon in the water, between sets, "The next song, the next album, the next gig, the next big thing ... if you're not content now, you'll never be with whatever comes next."

My surf guru just texted me. Hitting the water now. Will return both darker and wiser.

Aloha for now,
Kaleo

The Wisdom of Kimbo Slice

Oh snap. Did Kimbo Slice just change my life?

Finding a niche ...

First blog of 2010 and there's already too much to say. I don't know where to begin.

This past year I've been doing some writing with local legend Lehua Kalima, member of the top-selling Hawaii female group of all time (Na Leo), and the voice and mind behind timeless classics like "Flying With Angels" and "The Rest of Your Life".

This month we finally started tracking at Studio Ala Moana with producer Shawn Pimental and sound engineer Michael Grande. I can hardly believe my good fortune in calling these people friends. Moreover, I get to be a part of making history as a writer and guest vocalist on Lehua's first solo project. She really is one of the greatest songwriters Hawaii has ever seen. The record should be finished by summer.

I'm convinced that time is the only thing that can give an artist a true sense of how good his or her work is. I think it's the same across the board for all kinds of artists, from songwriters to painters to novelists. People ask me all the time what I want to accomplish in this music business. Here it is: I want to make songs that people are still singing twenty, thirty ... fifty years from now.

Every musician needs a niche. Yes, every musician should be well-rounded, but it's important to find out early on what his or her significant musical contribution will be to the world. Some are recognized for God-given musical skill. Others are remembered for being charismatic entertainers, excelling in the art of showmanship. Still others are responsible for transforming bits of sound into the music we all love while behind the scenes, in the control room. As for me, I feel as though my mark as a musician will be made - if, at all - as a writer.

Hoping to make more beautiful music for you this year and in years to come,
Kaleo

When I Say Shoot ...

My brother-in-law just got home from Iraq yesterday. His three-year old son (my nephew) turned on the Wii and told his dad, "When I say shoot, you shoot, okay?" =)

Mahalo for your service, bro.

First Love

California Coffee Tour: Day 6

We've had a funny relationship through the years. She was my childhood sweetheart, my first puppy love. You know, the one your parents think is sweet and they support you, but more because you're their kid, not because they think it's gonna work out. You'll do anything to be together. She's your world.

But then a few years go by. You grow up and the pressures of real life start to kick in . You got bills. Need to eat. The car breaks down and you learn real quick that love won't fix the car. And slowly, the relationship becomes routine, and after routine, it digresses into just another pressure, another bill, another thing that needs fixing.

"Maybe we should see other people." You say it because you already are. If not in actuality, then dozens of times in your mind. You see yourself happy again, or at least able to get by without being plagued with worry. You see what your parents saw, back when you were a child and didn't know any better. The world starts to make more sense this way.

So I left. I ran out and took a good look around. Took a good look at myself, too. Truth is, even though I left you, you never left me.

Now I'm back. Not with the chip I had on my shoulder before I left, not merely wanting to vindicate us in front of everybody who said we couldn't make it. I'm back because I don't see myself with anyone else. What we had was real from the beginning, and I would fail to be who I truly am or become who I'm supposed to be if I couldn't be with you for the rest of my life. You're my song, every melody that's in me, written and unwritten.

Take me back. Music, take me back.

California Coffeeshop Tour: Day 2

We attacked this tour with the type of zeal that usually comes with anarchy. Then again, the whole trip is anti-establishment. In a sense, we're constantly dodging bullets that otherwise wouldn't be a threat if we'd had the military protection of a dominant world power (in our case, a major record label).

Mike Isberto is the major player in all of this - a Che Guevara of sorts - booking venues, making introductions, seeing to it that equipment is in place (both for him and his band and myself). Yes, it's a lot to handle if you're the musician and the booking agent/POC.

Meanwhile, I have the benefit of being taken care of. If Che had a number two who got taken care of, that would be me. But since I'm not an authority on guerilla warlords (and I assume his number two would be more of a go-fer than a loafer), the anarchy metaphor ends here =(

Played a fundraiser for the Philippine typhoon victims last night and met a grip of amazing musicians. Seriously, there are some major players here in California. And every single one of them has got some humble claim to fame (hit song, viral video, toured with ...) that only pops up when somebody else in the group mentions it. I love it. Forgot my camera, though. Then again, I wouldn't be able to upload them because I forsook bringing up my laptop to fly with over 200 lb. of gear and merchandise. I believe the same line-up (minus Ramiele) will be at CSU Long Beach this coming Monday. Donations of cash and canned goods will be gladly received.

Tonight we play at The District at 6. Mike and I have forty minutes a piece. Game time is in four hours.

Aloha for now,

K

California Coffeeshop Tour: Day 1

Landed at LAX last night. I guess that technically makes this "Day 2", but I'm already in too deep.

California is nice this time of year. Mike Isberto is a class act. Picked me up at the airport and took me to In N Out. I was about to take a picture of the burger and fries, but Facebook has enough pics of In N Out burgers. Actually, the food was gone before anyone could get their cameras out.

Tonight we're planning on playing at a fundraiser for the Philippine flood victims at Cal State Fullerton. Mike and I got on the list pretty late (like two days ago), so I don't quite know what to expect. AI alumni Ramiele Malubay - who apparently sings with my cousin Adinah anytime she's in FL - should be there tonight. Kathy Nguyen too. Should be a heck of a show. Hopefully we can garner some good support for Philippines. Samoa needs our prayers too. Same with our boys in the Middle East. Don't forget them. So much going on in the world. We can't afford to forget about each other. Gotta keep lifting each other up.

Anyway I'm blogging at MI's house while they're rehearsing for tomorrow's gig in Tustin, 5:30p at the main stage. Boys are sounding good. I'll be posting photos up on the FB throughout, guarantee.

Blessings and Respect,

KWai

Cali Tour Dates

Thursday, October 8, 2009
Benefit Concert, Fullerton
Time: TBA

Friday, October 9, 2009
The District, Tustin, CA
w/ Mike Isberto
6:00p

Saturday, October 10, 2009
Borders, Long Beach, CA
2:00p

Monday, October 12, 2009
Benefit Concert, Long Beach
Time: TBA

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Genghis Cohen, Los Angeles
w/ Mike Isberto
7:00p

October 17, 2009
Brain Wash, San Francisco
w/ Mike Isberto
8:00p

October 20, 2009
McClain's Coffee House
Fullerton, CA
w/ Mike Isberto
8:00p

Play on, JVJB

These two did it right.

How to Be Happy