Slack Key ‘Ohana has released the single “Waimanalo Blues” exclusively on Apple Music, Amazon, and iTunes, as an instant gratification pre-order track from their upcoming album titled “Live at Tiki Oasis”. The album is scheduled for release on December 23rd.
In the afternoon of August 3, 2022, Slack Key ‘Ohana performed an hour fifteen-minute set at Tiki Oasis, self-described as “the largest and longest-running festival in the world for lovers of Island lifestyle and purveyors of Polynesian Pop”. This annual San Diego event was hosted at the Town and Country Convention Center from August 3-7, drawing thousands to celebrate Island music and culture. Routinely, the band records its shows. Listening back, the sound and vibe for this show were so exciting that they had to be shared!
The 17-song album contains the entire show in the order it was performed live. “Talking Story” is an important part of a Slack Key ‘Ohana show – the meaning of the song and its place in Hawaiian culture and history is explained. The CD and vinyl versions of the album will contain these between-song segments, designated “Stage Announcements” in deference to the use of that term for spoken segments on the original Woodstock ’69 album. The “Stage Announcements” are included as separate tracks, so that listeners can choose to play in sequence and be fully immersed in the live experience or create a playlist of just the music.
The album artwork was created by Natasha Gemine, a Hawaii based artist inspired by the recent eruption of Mauna Loa, which she can see from the back porch of her home.
In addition to Tiki Oasis, Slack Key ‘Ohana recently performed at the Pacific Islander Festival, the largest recurring islander festival on the mainland, and has played nearly 100 shows in 2022. They were winner in the 2022 San Diego Music Awards’ “Best World Music Album” category, and their 2021 self-titled studio album debuted at #2 on the iTunes Worldwide Music charts. They are building an extensive live show calendar for the spring.
“Live At Tiki Oasis” is slated for release on December 23rd, on streaming sites and on CD, with vinyl to follow. Slack Key ‘Ohana is working on a studio album they expect to release early next year.
Our show schedule graphic for December features the Big Island's Mauna Kea in the background. It's the highest mountain peak in the world from the ocean floor to the summit making it nearly a mile taller than Mount Everest. It's also one of the few places in Hawaii where you'll find actual snow. Because of this, it's not uncommon for locals to shovel snow into the back of their pickup trucks to bring back to their homes so that they can build a snowman despite being in a tropical climate around this time of year. To the upper left you'll notice a red glow in the sky towards where Mauna Loa is located in honor of its very recent eruption