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Kapala
Their eclectic grooves and positive message are winning over fans and making their unique style of Hawaiian music a global phenomenon.

Kapala is a group of music veterans and close friends that decided to make their own ‘imprint’ on today’s music scene, which has certainly been the case with their debut radio single 'Come On Home'. The members of Kapala have been part of some of Hawaii’s finest groups and it is from this experience that Kapala draws its inspiration and desire to make their own mark. Kapala combines traditional and contemporary Hawaiian music with country, ethnic, jazz, rock, urban, and soul influences, creating a style of music that is infectious, memorable, and rapidly moving to the forefront of today's musical tastes. Reporter Alexis Adams caught up with Kapala recently to learn more about this group and their particular take on the 'good life'.

ALEXIS: What events led to forming the group Kapala?
KAPALA: Friendship is what brought us all together. We are all veteran musicians and have known each other for many years some as far back as elementary school. We decided to form a band and try to avoid some of the mistakes we had made in our other bands.

ALEXIS: Your song 'Come On Home’ has been a big hit on radio for its third straight month. What was your initial reaction when you first heard your song playing on radio?
KAPALA: We were thrilled to hear that it was doing well in other parts of the country. It really hasn’t done very well here in Hawaii. lol We are happy that others are enjoying the song.

ALEXIS: What was the inspiration behind ‘Come On Home’? Was it drawn from a particular personal struggle?
KAPALA: One of our band members lived in the mainland US and had a difficult time adjusting. Another band member lived in LA for 16 years and always wanted to return home to Hawaii. It is a combination of these two stories that is the inspiration for the song.

ALEXIS: Would you say that the mood of your other songs is in the same vein as 'Come On Home’? Do they all have a feel-good Hawaiian vibe?
KAPALA: Yes, most of our songs are upbeat, and positive. It’s hard not to be positive living in such a beautiful place as Hawaii. We have a saying here, “Lucky we live Hawaii”.

ALEXIS: : How would you characterize yourself as musicians? (Ex. Down-to-earth, serious, fun-loving...).
KAPALA: We are serious about our music. We devote a lot of time to improving our music through study, rehearsal, and education. We love to be together and have fun but we do take our music very seriously. Four of the band members are full time working musicians and have been for many years.

ALEXIS: What was it like creating and shooting the music video for this song? 
KAPALA: It was a lot of fun. Anytime we’re together there is lots of laughter. We are friends first and band mates second.

ALEXIS:What do you find most rewarding about being musicians? What do you find most challenging?
KAPALA:The most rewarding thing is to see the emotional response our audience has when we play one of our original songs. It lets us know that we have connected with them in a very personal way. The most challenging is trying to get everyone to rehearsal and gigs. We have six band members with families, kids, jobs; it is tough to coordinate everyone’s schedule.

ALEXIS: Who are your role models in music?
KAPALA: Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan, Little Feat, Victor Wooten, Keith Jarrett, Sting, Miles Davis, just to name a few.

ALEXIS: What advice would you give to young, aspiring musicians out there who are unsure and need guidance?
KAPALA: Never stop learning, follow your dreams with passion, persistence and faith. Practice with a purpose. Try to learn something from everyone you play with even if it’s not what you're into. Pick good role models.

ALEXIS: What's next for Kapala? Is there a follow-up single in the works? If so, what can you tell us about it?
KAPALA: This song is actually from our EP ‘Come on Home’. We have two other full length CD’s ‘Imprint’ and ‘Legacy. We are currently writing new material for our fourth CD project. We recently returned from a Northern California tour and will be going to Las Vegas and Los Angeles in the summer and the Pacific Northwest in early 2015.

ALEXIS: Well there's lots to look forward to! Thanks for taking time out to share your story with me. I wish you and the band continued success!

www.kapalamusic.com
www.reverbnation.com/kapala


© 2014 Greycastle News Corporation