Shaka Khan by Ginai. Isn’t it obvious?

In Hawaii, a "Shaka" sign is a greeting of heartfelt aloha. Hearing the music of Chaka Khan sung by Hawaiian Soul artist Ginai fills you with that same ALOHA! But being able to project that soulful feeling comes from a lifetime of love despite the pain of  sometimes having to walk Through The Fire, to quote one of her iconic songs. Refinement comes from much of that! 

Growing up part Hawaiian, Black, American Indian, and White in the 70's was a rough time. The strife of being a Hawaiian on native soil sadly stripped of our native language, cultural practices, and proper nation/state status left a scar upon many hearts that didn't seem to want to heal. People were often confused, sometimes set against their own family for lack of knowledge. Who am I? Who am I allowed to be? The anger was palpable and lots of it fell on us kids of mixed ethnicities. Having children of mixed races was ideal to some but the ones truly revered were of the fairer skin and bore light colored eyes. So I got very little love born of dark brown skin and dark brown eyes. It inspired me to set about proving to my family most of which refused to like me let alone love me, that I could sing and standout in a crowd because of it. I have done just that! I had to leave my little town of Waianae to do it, so I would fly far away to distant shores, and still manage to come home to raise a family.

I had earned the right to sing the blues, and soul music, a close kin, is a wailing of the heart expressive and meaningful. It is a required skill when singing / performing the music of iconic and legendary vocalist Chaka Khan, not to mention the carefully crafted songs she chose to record. I will remind you of how much you loved her music then and love her still. Join me on August 2nd for "Shaka Khan" , bringing you the very best of MY Hawaiian soul!