This vinyl is more than a collection of songs — it is a vessel of memory, sovereignty, and resistance throughout the island chain. As a kānaka maoli, creating and releasing this work is an act of reclamation in a world that continues to occupy, exploit, and erase our lāhui. Every groove in this record holds echoes of our ancestors, of our waters and winds, of our uprisings and rituals. It is a reminder that our stories are not relics — they are alive, embodied, and evolving. To press these sounds into wax is to affirm that our voices will not be silenced, that Hawaiian art & music is political, and that creation is a form of ceremony. This is for our people, past, present, and yet to come. ~ T.J. Keanu Tario
The mele on this album are each kaikamahine o kekahi moku — a daughter of an island. The performances of these mele, a series of deep solo and ensemble improvisations recorded over two days, form a moving portrait of an artist working across genre and generations. With delicacy, power and majesty, they embody the complex kuleana of being He Kaikamahine O Kekahi Moku.
200 copies poured in "Opaque Gold" 100 copies hand poured in "Chess Club"
