Joshua Alo

Singer-songwriter Joshua Alo makes an impressive debut and speaks eloquently of his faith with this album of religious reggae. Alo conveys his message primarily in Rastafari terms -- praising Jah, and calling for the unity of "all Jah people" against the forces of "Babylon" -- but mainstream Christians will notice lyrical references to Biblical scripture and embrace the message as well.

The musicians establish their credentials as roots reggae professionals with the opening track. The rhythm section is rock solid, and the others add melodic embellishments where needed.

Alo steps forward early with an ukulele solo that adds a touch of Hawaii to this international album, and the interplay between ukulele and the rhythm section elsewhere underscores his Hawaii ties. The final song, "A Thing Called Love," features his acoustic guitar and demonstrates his strength performing solo and "unplugged."

The title song addresses the importance of having "the courage to answer your calling ... and follow your dreams." It's a thought well worth considering in hectic times like these, and the larger messages Alo is sharing are appropriate for all times and seasons.

John Berger, Star-Bulletin

http://starbulletin.com/2007/11/02/features/story05.html - Honolulu Star Bulletin

l’histoire d’un vrai "Souljah" (soldier) du Reggae qui a vécu plusieurs années sur le sol belge et qui va par le nom de JOSHUA ALO ! Né à Hawaï, ce jeune homme de 24 ans s’est engagé dans l’armée de l’air américaine il y a de cela 10 ans, sans doute plus de simples raisons alimentaires que par ambition purement patriotique, mais peu importe en fait ! Car sa production artistique dévoile un personnage complexe qu’il nous a semblé nécessaire de vous présenter.

JOSHUA ALO a en effet sorti son premier album Reggae en juin dernier : ANSWER YOUR CALLING. Sa vocation musicale est indéniablement de qualité, elle déborde d’authenticité et de mysticisme.

Aïe !!! En bon cartésien progressiste que vous êtes peut-être, vous vous dItes probablement déjà qu’il s’agit encore d’un de ces chanteurs de Roots Reggae emprunt d’une conviction hybride de spiritualité et de soif d’absolu, dont la dévotion ne serait qu’amplifiée par la dure vie d’un militaire de carrière. A lire les titres de ce nouvel album - "ANGEL", "FAITH", 'LIGHT OVER DARKNESS", "PARADISE", "ALMIGHTY'S CREATION" - cette première impression semble d'ailleurs se confirmer et pourtant détrompez-vous. Ici la nuance est de mise car, loin du dogmatisme et du conservatisme que l’on connaît à de nombreux croyants, JOSHUA ALO a tout simplement les pieds sur terre et la tête dans les étoiles !

Avoir voyagé dans une multitudes de pays, être une fois en déploiement en Italie près de Venise, à Oman, au Bahreïn, en Afghanistan ou trois fois en Irak (il y est actuellement, à l'heure où nous publions ces lignes) ne peut que lui rappeler sans cesse le sens des réalités et l'aider à comprendre les autres cultures. A la fois soldat et vocaliste Reggae ! L’ambiguïté déconcertante de la démarche d'ALO nous rappelle à nouveau que l’expression artistique, quelle qu'elle soit, est vitale.

JOSHUA ALO s'est donc associé avec l’ingénieur du son du renommé studio BEAT2 en Italie où il résidait jusqu'à l'année passée, avec IRKO (bassiste), MAURIZIO NIZETTO (pianiste), MR. GIANLUCA BALLARIN ainsi qu'avec un sensationnel groupe Italien de Roots Reggae : ZION LOVE. Résultat : un premier opus qui mérite vraiment votre attention, tant la sagesse des textes et la douceur des mélodies vous apaiseront sans le moindre effort. Sur ANSWER YOUR CALLING, l’exhortation perpétuelle de ALO à approcher la Plénitude suffit à répondre à son appel même si, finalement, c’est lui qui répond au nôtre !

JOSHUA est au loin mais son album est disponible. Actuellement en Irak mais basé au Bahreïn, il a récemment donné un concert acoustique au Hard Rock Cafe de Manama en faveur de la Fondation Agape qui a reversé les gains à un orphelinat, à Mai Chiange en Thailande. Chez nous, ses morceux commentcent à être diffusés, on l'a par exemple entendu dans TOTAL R&B sur NRJ, ou sur FUN RADIO dans SOUL STATION, mais il est également joué aux Etats-Unis, En France et sur la webradio Reggae la plus réputée au monde : BIG UP RADIO. Vous pouvez télécharger l'album ANSWER YOUR CALLING via le site de JOSHUA ALO ou en le commandant sur cdbaby.com ou sur purevolume.com au tarif habituel.

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dgk29jv3_25fk8c5p - Belgium Chronyx

Born and raised in Hawaii, Joshua Alo began experimenting with his love of music as a teenager, strumming his ukulele and acoustic guitar on the island of Oahu. Joshua is also the first enlisted solider (with the U.S. Air Force) to release a reggae album. He operates as mail transportation manager where his job is to ensure the deployed U.S and coalition troops receive mail, no matter where they are, to and from their loved ones back home. In his time with the Air Force Joshua has travelled extensively and has been deployed to both Oman and Iraq. This has given him both an interesting perspective and insight into many different cultures, religions and conflicts around the world.

The album was recorded with the tribal roots band Zion Love when he was stationed in Northern Italy. Apparently Joshua recorded the tunes in-between working his military shifts and putting in a host of overtime to raise the required capitol. The result of this hard work is a twelve track album of laid back, peaceful, roots music, suited to a chilled Sunday afternoon or a warm sunset summer night. This is real meditation music, with each track taking on a down tempo style, with slow, meaningful bass-lines, enriching use of the acoustic guitar and deeply emotional lyrics.

The opening track ‘Irie’ sums up the whole album for me, with Joshua singing of ‘positive vibrations from the depths of the soul’; the bass throbbing through the speakers, sprinkled with some rousing precision and splendid acoustic solos. The tune ‘Angel’ opens with another sublime acoustic solo before dropping into a relaxing roots vibe. ‘Blind Guides’ is a stunning song, full of spirituality, first rate musicianship and insightful lyrics born from first-hand experience. There are several other highpoints throughout this album, including ‘Stand Firm’, ‘Dreaming’ and the title track, ‘Answer Your Calling’. Each song stands on its own merits and the whole albums shares the common theme of traditional one drop, deep down roots vibes.

‘Answer Your Calling’ is a very impressive debut album, showcasing the exciting talents of Joshua Alo. Some people may raise an eyebrow and question the validity of a US soldier’s involvement in the roots genre, but I feel the music speaks for itself and I would suggest that you approach this release with an open mind – you won’t be disappointed.

Review by JumpUp

- UK Reggae Guide

It's very rare that I come across an album that I know is good only after the first listening session. It is even more rare when this is combined with the fact that I know none of the recording artists, but Joshua Alo's debut left me in awe.

Answer Your Calling is best described as an offering from the heart. The incredibly honest rhythm section is a true driving force. A mean, thundering bass combined with well placed heavy drum licks, rootical percussion, seventies organ sounds, guitar and hovering above that are Joshua Alo's angelic breathy vocals and ukulele. The backing combines beautifully and the players know exactly when to quit and leave the sound grounded.

You can hear everything going on in the studio; the touching of the ukulele and the guitar strings, Joshua Alo's breathing, spontaneous breaks and even the occasional drum slips have all been left in tact. It gives the album an organic feel and the listener a highly sensuous experience. You can almost smell and taste the music. The only production trick I could lay my finger on is an occasional echo and the obvious way in which the distant vocals are mixed in 'Almighty's Creation', but to great effect still.

Apart from Joshua Alo himself the production crew is completely Italian and the album was recorded and mixed in Venice. The very raw roots sound is balanced not by production or levelling but by the sheer craftsmanship of it's performers and the subtle finesse adding vocals. Joshua Alo's firm belief in Scripture shines through in his self-penned lyrics which are predominantly religious in nature.

Joshua Alo was born and raised on the island of Oahu, Hawaii and he has been a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force since 1999 (what the …?). He has been stationed all over Europe and the Middle-East. All sorts of questions could be raised about Babylon and war and world domination but as honest as the album is so too should we listen without prejudice and with full attention. Currently based in Bahrain, Joshua Alo must have been cut into a full bloom diamond by the middle eastern sand he has seen so much of. Very charming and highly recommended!

(Teacha Dan, August 2007)
- Teacha Dan from SOURCE: ROOTS MUSIC Reggae & Dancehall

It's not often you hear reggae albums from enlisted soldiers; I dare say Joshua Alo's is the first! A member of the United States Air Force, Alo has lived all around the world but was born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii, and he brings that tropical sound to his debut album, Answer Your Calling. This is "hammock music": swaying, peaceful, and gorgeous, suited for sunset on a secluded beach, whether you're in the mood for love or for meditation. It's the latter that Alo is more concerned with here, as titles like "Faith," "Answer Your Calling," "Light Over Darkness," and "Paradise" reflect his spiritual (though not necessarily Rasta) inclination. The laid-back music is conducive to deep thought, Alo's acoustic guitar and ukulele adding a specific Hawaiian twist to the roots and lovers riddims -- even though, ironically enough, the album was recorded in Italy (presumably while he was stationed there) with a local band, Zion Love. There's an expansive, almost jazzy sense to the music, with long instrumental stretches (several tracks open with extended guitar intros) that make everything in the world seem just a bit calmer. Sure, it's odd to see a soldier singing in a genre that's notoriously anti-establishment, but judging Alo by his profession alone ignores the individual -- an in individual who has crafted a triumphant debut that is hopefully the first of more to come.

http://www.reggae-reviews.com/joshuaalo.htm - Reggae Reviews.com

> By MC2(SW) Anderson Bomjardim
> CNRSWA/NSA Bahrain Assistant Public Affairs Officer/Editor
>
> NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY, Bahrain - Born and raised in Aiea, Hawaii, son
> of John and Margaret Alo, U.S. Air Force Tech.
> Sgt. Joshua Alo, has had the passion for music since he was a
> teenager. Highly influenced by island and reggae music, he said he
> always had the dream of playing guitar on stage in front of big
> crowds.
> "The dream of being a performing musician was there ever since I
> learned my first two chords," said Alo, who uses that dream through
> life. "What got me into music was simply growing up in Hawaii - the
> music, the influence, the creation, the vibes there are strong. Music
> is a calling for everyone there in one way or another".
> But why Reggae Music?- "Reggae Music is a balanced music that is
> harmonious with the beat of the heart and carries conscious messages.
> To me, a heart for Christ and conveyance through reggae music brings a
> nice formula to what is needed in the camps".
> At a young age, playing the ukulele - a popular instrument in
> Hawaii that is a member of the guitar family - Alo took advantage of
> the teachings and influence his hometown provided and then explored
> the world of the guitar.
> Asked if he ever had the intent to learn other instruments such as the
> piano, he said, "Pianos are too expensive; I chose the acoustic guitar
> for it's pure sound and also because you could use fishing lines as
> guitar strings."
> Alo said he spent half a year after graduating from high school
> trying to decide his future. He had only traveled off the island to
> visit family members in states on the mainland.
> "Everything is too far, too cold - no waves anywhere as compared
> to the majestic waves of Hawaii," he said.
> Eventually Alo, the son of a U.S. Vietnam era-U.S. Army veteran,
> decided to join the military, choosing the Air Force.
> Today he is stationed aboard U.S. Naval Support Activity ,
> Bahrain, along with other Air Force personnel who are the service
> managers for all Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force postal matters
> within the Central Command area of operation. His job title is mail
> transportation non-commissioned officer-in-charge.
> Constantly on a plane and away from Bahrain, Alo is busy
> transporting mail to Iraq and Afghanistan and coordinating mail
> services to troops who are forward-deployed to remote locations in the
> CENTCOM AOR.
> "We have a broad responsibility here in Bahrain.
> I love
> what I do - providing something tangible for fellow service members in
> the frontlines who have no way to communicate with their families,"
> said Alo, who understands how important his job is to those on the
> frontlines.
> Because of his busy routine and constant traveling, Alo doesn't
> have time to do what he likes - playing guitar for crowds. He does,
> however, take advantage of the little time he has in between his
> traveling to play solo for small groups on the front lines and
> wherever there are people congregating. He said he likes to play the
> songs of his island on his guitar - to bring his culture to the table.
> When not performing for service members on the front, Alo has also
> performed acoustically as the main act at a benefit concert at Hard
> Rock Café here in Bahrain where all 100% of the proceeds went towards
> an orphanage in Chiang Mai Thailand.
> Alo plans to leave the military to pursue his dream and future
> career as a musician; also to spend more time with his wife, who is a
> native of the Congo and lives in Belgium.
> His Air Force job provides him little time to prepare for his future
> as a musician.
> Master Sgt. Henry Gonzalez, Alo's supervisor said it is difficult
> to find someone who likes the job and sticks with it throughout his
> career. For him, Alo will be a big loss to the military, but he
> understands music is Alo's dream and supports him in any decision he
> makes toward achieving his goal.
> - Southwest Asia/Naval Support Activity Desert Times

http://www.mauitime.com/Articles-i-2008-06-26-180853.112113_My_Guitar_is_My_Weapon.html


Cover Story
My Guitar is My Weapon
Hawaii soldier and musician, Joshua Alo, brings a message of peace to battlegrounds across the globe



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by Jessica Armstrong write the author






June 26, 2008
Joshua Alo has had a guitar strapped to his back for a very long time.

It all began with disobedient boy and a forbidden guitar, tucked quietly in a closet in his father's Aiea home in central Oahu. Alo couldn't resist the urge to pluck the strings when his father was away from the house. But his defiant behavior was rewarded one day when he was caught, red-handed, strumming one of his father's favorite songs. Recognizing his son's talent and ambition, and perhaps the futility of trying to keep the guitar out of his hands, Alo's father relented and gave him the six string.








He's been virtually inseparable from the guitar ever since. In 1999 Alo enlisted in the United States Air Force and left Oahu in search of worldly opportunities. He took a position as a mail transportation manager, a job that kept him out of battle but repeatedly put him in war zones and third world countries around Southeast Asia. Alo was dedicated to his military position. When his time was up he re-enlisted, and then extended his deployment for a year.

All along Alo carried his acoustic instrument and the reggae beat that flows through him across 26 countries. Always traveling with a guitar, Alo had the opportunity to play to large and small crowds in Japan, Italy, Brussels, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and jammed regularly with other soldiers in Baghdad.








His music is conscious roots reggae, a genre grown from the seed of Rastafarianism that inherently carries a message of social issues, oppression and spirituality. It's also music that's closely associated with resistance to war and the military.

His songs tell the tale of his life, of his personal spiritual walk, and carry a message of faith and self-awareness.








photo: Shannon K. Wright.
All 12 original, polished roots tracts were recorded while Alo was on active duty and stationed in Venice with Italian roots band Zion Love. Though his sound is by far more Jamaican than Hawaiian and his message comes across with a lot of Rasta terminology, Alo says that he is a Christian.

The music on Alo's debut album, Answer Your Calling, resonates with the solid one-step reggae beats of an artist who emulated Bob Marley in his formative years. Alo's personal flair comes in the form of unexpected guitar solos and heartfelt, personal lyrics. An unusual hint of tranquil ukulele strumming gives the album an island vibe and makes it unmistakable that Alo is a Hawai'i boy through and through.








photo: Shannon K. Wright.
When Alo told me his story over the phone last week I discovered that his voice is disarmingly melodic. His sweet timbered words flowed over the lines with a rhythmic tempo and his infectious laugh came easily. He spoke with an unidentifiable accent that stems from his local upbringing and branches with the flavor of time spent speaking and listening to foreign languages around the world.

He's on his way to Maui for his debut performance after nine years of military service. I wanted to know how he balances his musical message of unity and love with his choice to become a soldier for a country that enforces peace with guns.


- Maui Time

Ah, the reggae sound of the islands – though in this case the islands are the Hawaiian variety, and it most definitely shows. Oahu-born Joshua Alo has created a beautifully mellow CD with a dozen original tracks of musically laid-back and lyrically inspirational acoustic based sounds. His voice suits his material, which is often prefaced and/or punctuated by quite lengthy passages of his own sometimes quite bluesy acoustic guitar before the band comes in with a one-drop in the vein of vintage Bob Marley (try the rootsy 'Light Over Darkness' for the album's most Marley sound-alike).
On several numbers Joshua also plays Hawaii's other instrument, the ukulele, in a fashion reminiscent once or twice of the mandolin but much more frequently the delicate sounding West African kora, and it certainly adds an individual and distinctive element. Even more surprisingly, to top off the world music ethos, this CD was actually recorded in Venice, Italy with very sympathetic and empathetic Italian accompanists.

Norman Darwen
- United Kingdom's Rock N Reel Magazine