Upcountry Maui roots run through Maolis latest hits | News, Sports, Jobs

After years of performing with Maoli, the Maui reggae band he founded, Glenn Awong says he likes to “keep fans on their toes.” The Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning band will perform at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Friday, with special guests Fiji, Pi‘ilani Arias and the Hammah House Band. REGGIE VILLA photo

Loved for their smooth island reggae hits, some of the highlights on Maoli’s latest album “The Breakthrough,” include the memorable country ballad “My Reason” and the beautiful Hawaiian language song “He Mana’o He Aloha.”

Composed by band founder Glenn Awong, a video for “My Reason” has scored close to 3 million views on YouTube. It easily could be a hit on country radio stations.

“I’m very fortunate,” said Awong, who grew up in Upcountry Maui with an affection for country music. “That’s what I was going for. I wanted more country, rather than reggae country. I told my buddy Imua (Garza) I wanted to do an actual country song. I wrote it and sent him a voice memo, and he sent the recording two days later. I love country. People don’t know it, that’s where I’m from, like Makawao, Haiku, Kula. I grew up on country music.”

The Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning Maui band will perform in a concert under the stars on Friday at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s A&B Amphitheater, with special guests Fiji, Pi’ilani Arias and the Hammah House Band.

Maoli just released a new single, the exuberant reggae jam “Bounce,” recorded with Fiji and J Boog, with a video shot at a show in Kona, which has already gained 100,000 YouTube views.

“Me and Fij were in the studio writing together and the last missing piece was Boog, so we gave him a call,” Awong explained. “I like to switch it up here and there, keep fans on their toes. Where’s he going now?”

Awong recalled he first realized he had the power to move folks with his voice as a seventh grader at Kalama Intermediate. “My music teacher, Mr. Camarillo, had a project where in order to graduate to the Poly (Polynesian) 2 class, you had to sing a song in front of the class,” he said. “I did it and the whole class went crazy. Oh, so I think I’ve got something here. Then the next year, the project was to write a song and sing in front of the class. I did that and everybody went off again.”

As far as musical influences, he recalled, “I grew up on all kinds of stuff. My grandmother listened to music every single minute of the day. When I was with her, I got to pick up on a lot of old music like Aaron Neville and Stevie Wonder and George Strait. Reggae music was always around our families. Bruddah Waltah was my dad’s best friend. So I got to listen to Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, all of them. The next thing you know, I’m doing it.”

Maoli’s first hit, “No One,” released in 2007, came from their debut album, “Groovin’.” They repeated their success with the follow-up, “Rock Easy,” featuring more hits, including “Breaking My Heart,” “Whisper” and the title track.

The band finally won a Hoku Award for Reggae Album of the Year for “Sense of Purpose” in 2020.

Over the years, their popular cover songs include country star Brett Young’s “Mercy,” with close to 5 million YouTube views, Bonnie Raitt’s hit ballad “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (with 1.5 million views), Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts The Most” and Shania Twain’s “From This Moment,” all highlighted by Awong’s distinctive vocals.

As the leader of one of Hawaii’s most popular bands, Awong concludes, “my overall mission is to share love and joy with everyone, and we definitely need peace now. This is my way of contributing.”

Explaining the significance of the “Breakthrough” album title, he said: “I was going through a difficult time when I was recording it and that’s what the music is for, to let it all out. All these songs came to me. I’m good now.”

The album’s closing track, “He Mana’o He Aloha,” features a beautiful vocal by Awong along with a gorgeous choral backing.

“It was written by my friend Wailau Ryder,” Awong explained. “I came up with the melody and he came up with the lyrics and the whole production. I did all the vocals on it.”

It’s so good one wonders when he might release a Hawaiian album.

“I was working on it, but I just got sidetracked,” he said. “I have to finish it.”

As far as covers on the album, he delivered a memorable version of Stevie Wonder’s “A Place in the Sun,” with an accompanying video with almost 2 million YouTube views.

“That song resonates with me and I think with the people of Hawaii,” he said. “It’s just a happy song.”

Gates for Maoli’s concert on Friday will open at 5:30 p.m., with the concert starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are general admission at $39.50 and $70 (VIP) plus applicable fees. Prices increase day of show. VIP tickets offer front-of-stage viewing and access to the Yokouchi Pavilion bars and restrooms. Advance tickets are available online at www.mauiarts.org.

After years of performing with Maoli, the Maui reggae band he founded, Glenn Awong says he likes to “keep fans on their toes.” The Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning band will perform at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Friday, with special guests Fiji, Pi‘ilani Arias and the Hammah House Band. REGGIE VILLA photo

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