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 ...

Read more... 07/09/25

Fleetwoodf Blac, origin story!

Months ago, Alan Okuye and Mark Caldeira approached me to do the music of Fleetwood Mac. My initial thoughts were....how will I be received as the lead singer of this very famously Anglo-Saxon band? Stevie Nicks is a tough act to portray coming from the other end of the melanin spectrum. Lol! My husband Ted, who I refer to in professional circles as "King Ted", popped up and said, "honey you should call it Fleetwood Blac!" It was catchy, and ticked off a few boxes.  1 - Blac rhymes with Mac 2 - Fleetwood Brown just didn't have the same ring to it 3 - if Stevie Nicks is white and I am Black Hawaiian, why not go there? I can dress and sound like a hippie chick while having a blast doing it! In the text thread with the band that includes Alan functioning as the musical director, Mark on drums and vocals, Darrell Aquino who secured the date, and newly added steel guitarist Greg Sardinha, I began calling it that. No one flinched! So there it is. It wasn't until much later that perhaps a wife popped up and said, "huh? Fleetwood Blac?" When I explained the aforementioned ...

Read more... 06/12/25

THE BEST OF GINAI

My name still shows up in a Google search, no matter how hard the internet trolls (they hide under bridges and swipe at us when we drive by) try to suppress my true numbers. That is what will come to my rescue during this painful break up between myself and Hawaiian Soul. My strategy always was to announce, "We are Hawaiian Soul! I'm Hawaiian....(and Michael Cobb would chime in, ) "I'm Soul!" Why did I do that? To be honest, it was never a nefarious plan to undermine the band's brand. But it was always my intention to state the obvious, being the only Hawaiian in the band that has been together without me for 10+ years. I added 5 more and legitimized the name. They never had a Hawaiian in the front line until me, not really. I am of kanaka maoli descent, indigenous bloodline descending from high chiefs of Maui and a Kings guard by the name of Samuel Maika'i. I proudly proclaim I have the right to call myself Hawaiian. That being said, now that the 'Hawaiian' has left the band, should they change the name? Only you can decide that one. I am not trying to ...

Read more... 03/26/25

The Music of Sade

  There is so much to do when getting the band ready for shows like the one I have coming up on Saturday. Homework, organizing, rehearsals, and lots of getting the word out. It is a lot to do and takes dedication. I am dedicated to you, my audience, and pour all I have into finally stepping on stage. But not only am I dedicated to the music and the success of every show, I am grateful for the musicianship of these awesome cats who put in so much love to make the show vibe with verve.  Scott Shafer  on drums, is meticulous and studies his parts. Same is true for John Le Blanc, guitar, who knows how to deliver the lines you are expecting to hear. Alan Okuye, musical director and keyboard player guides everyone toward a common goal: your happiness. George Coppege aka “G” on bass makes sure you feel it right where it counts. In your sexy soul. Jason Gay on sax hits your system like a thunder bolt and you understand the meaning of “sizzling”. One more thing…back ground vocalists like the one I have in Maureen Baker are not to be taken for granted. The ...

Read more... 10/11/24

Ginai Loves Michael Franks

Since the late 70's when I ditched my small town of Waianae after graduating, I found myself in a whole new world of musical genres. All I ever got to listen to growing up was what played on the radio and what my mother brought home for us to clean house to! Haha. But moving to the Bay Area at age 19 changed all of that! In walks this guy named Michael Franks, meaning, discovering his album releases. The Sleeping Gypsy record knocked me off my feet, reminding me how much catching up I had to do, and catch up I indeed did! I played that vinyl recording until I got kicked out of where I was living and sadly lost it many moons ago. But I kept up with his music through the decades and fell in love with The Art of Tea, a record that preceeded Sleeping Gypsy, then I went on to acquire Burchfield Nines, Tiger In The Rain, One Bad habit, Objects of Desire, and more! I lost track of his releases and picked him back up in the 90's with Dragonfly Summer. He was now in my car and in my room with a CD ...

Read more... 06/21/24

For The Love of Prince, June “7” Slack Key Lounge, HB Social Club

In 2018, I did a tribute to Prince at Blue Note Hawaii in Waikiki. The show sold well but not great, and not enough to impress the owner from NYC. Nothing I did impressed that guy. That's another story. Regardless, I was not as happy with the presentation and wanted it to be better for next time.  Fast forward to now. Slack Key Lounge (located inside HB Social Club or better known as Hawaiian Brian's) asked me if I was ready last year on Prince's birthday but for me it was too soon. I was still trying to figure out how to recoup my losses from doing 25 shows at Blue Note with no vote of confidence from neither of the two guys who run it. But Glenn at HB loves my work, and after a few successful shows at his venue (The Music of Sade and The Music of Stevie Wonder,) I was finally ready. June "7" here we come! Clayton Apilando is a wild man on guitar. He plays left handed upside down! Who does that? I have always loved and admired his unique style and on-stage energy. His burning leads will honor the Prince legacy rocking it ...

Read more... 05/10/24