Last week I got to go to visit Kenneth Makuakane and help celebrate his latest release “The Dash.” To listen to our full interview with Kenneth, tune into our radio show which broadcasts every Sunday in Nagoya, Japan.

Kenneth writes…
“‘The Dash’ represents the journey of life. These handful of songs are but a glimpse of my journey as a songwriter. Though I have written over a thousand songs, I still remember the sensations I felt at the time each of them were penned. They remain bookmarks of my life, and audio diary of my thoughts.”

“The Dash” is Kenneth’s fifth solo release, but the idea behind this particular recording is intriguing. After the party had finished, I got to sit down and talk story with Kenneth about the album while recording a segment for our “Discover Aloha with Manoa DNA” radio program. He explained the concept of this recording and summarized it as “live enhanced,” a live recording of just him and his musical talents but with the enhancement of guest musicians and technology. It’s an interesting concept and one that Manoa DNA has been trying to wrestle with since we first started. How do you capture the energy and the spirit of a live performance while in the confines and safety of a studio? Kenneth may be on to something…

The music Kenneth plays is Manoa DNA style, a little English, a little Hawaiian language, but all music of Hawai’i. He explains that even though the music may not be in the language of Hawaiian, it comes from Hawai’i, from a Hawaiian songwriter, and contains the spirit of Hawai’i, thus making it Hawaiian music. We couldn’t agree more.

To pickup your copy of Kenneth Makuakane’s “The Dash,” visit his website. He also lists all the lyrics, liner notes, and audio samples from all his previous recorings. Heck, while you’re at it, you may as well become his Facebook fan, eh?