Tavana
Tavana is a multi-instrumentalist from Honolulu,HI with a bit more up his sleeve than your average one man band. Using electronic drum triggers, Tavana lays down a variety of grooves with his feet to accompany himself while playing and singing. This self-built pedal board looks like something out of Mad Max, and sounds as big as a stadium. Watching his feet is quite mesmerizing in and of itself. He switches between acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lapsteel, ukulele, banjo and a variety of effects and other gadgets with his hands. As if all of this wasn’t already enough to have you completely enthralled, he begins to sing. His voice is deep and smooth with rough edges in all the right places. The music is very bluesy with a hefty dose of rock but still somehow reminds you of Hawaii. He will often build the song to such a climax the terms « goosebumps » and « chicken skin » are often used to describe watching Tavana. To watch so expressively all these musical parts being played by one entity is what makes a Tavana show so different and so entertaining. Tavana has been the supporting act for artists like, Alabama Shakes, Shakey Graves, Xavier Rudd, Jenny Lewis, Julian Marley, Collie Buddz, Dead Prez, just to name a few. In 2009 Eddie Vedder, beloved front man of Pearl Jam, invited Tavana to sing « Hawaii 78 », a Hawaii anthem of sorts, with him at Eddie’s show at the Hawaii Theatre. « He’s more the exception than the rule, he is a great human and I’m glad to know him » says Vedder while introducing him to his audience. Eddie was so moved by their performance together he put it on a limited vinyl record given to 10,000 Pearl Jam fans. Tavana currently plays regularly at Hawaiian Brians and The Blue Note Hawaii while home in the islands. Tavana’s latest release « Kicking and Screaming » in 2014 is Tavana’s first release as a one man band/multi-instrumentalist. It was very well received in Hawaii garnering a « Nahoku Hano Hano Award » (Hawaii’s version of the Grammy’s)nomination for best Rock album of the year. Tavana is gearing up to release his upcoming album « Tavana live at Hawaiian Brian’s » by December 2016. « It’s definitely time to take the show abroad » says Tavana. « I just really enjoy what I do and I feel so lucky that I can feed my kids doing what I love and I think that sharing it will inspire other people to do what they love ».