Music
Press
Kana is a Hawaiian singer based in Georgia (now Florida) who released the mix tape Standing Strong with MC Ancient Mind. If your interest was piqued by the clips of tunes on that collection, you might want to check out this short album/long EP -- although only "Rasta Clear the Way" and "Truth & Rights" are repeated from the Ancient Mind collaboration, and Jah Love largely features an altogether different sound. Apart from these two tracks, which are straightforward roots, this set is a much more laid-back, seamless blend of reggae and strumming guitar folk. This shouldn't be terribly surprising, given the Hawaiian penchant for acoustic guitar and ukulele, but it might catch you off guard if you're expecting something more along the lines of Standing Strong. Kana's vocals are silky-smooth and well-suited to the peaceful sound of Jah Love. The title track, which opens the album, is a striking acoustic ballad that serves notice that isn't your average reggae set. You could argue, of course, that it and "Morning Spliff" aren't really reggae per se, but surrounded by tunes that incorporate the folksy sound (or in the case of "Runaround," bluesy or even country-y?) with a more standard one-drop rhythm, they fit nicely into the package as a whole. And it's an all-around potent package at that, a tropical wonder and a promising start to Kana's career. Hear clips at myspace.com/officialkana. - Reggae-Reviews.com
Discography
"Faith" [single, 2006] "Jah Love EP 2006 "Jah Love"[single, 2006] "Set Them Straight" [single,2007]
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Bio
There's a new powerful voice in reggae music quickly taking over, by the unassuming name Kana. Born in 1989, Kana took his Hawaiian name reflecting his respect for his polynesian heritage. Kana is a dynamic artist, whose silky voice can both ride an acoustic guitar with natural Hawaiian ease, or burn Babylon on a bubbling roots riddim.
He describes his overall message, “[being] that Jah love is over all,” which is no laughing matter with singles such as, “Serious Times,” “Fyah Haffi Burn,” and “Set Them Straight” On his devoted faith he says, "The Most High is at the center of who I am and guides me to become the person I know I am supposed to be." "Without Jah, I wouldn't be playing or singing.”
Though a new artist onto the scene, Kana is not a newcomer to music itself, on which he says he’s been singing his entire life. It’s his resultant range and versatility which has scored him a LP release with Zion's Garden, a string of successful live shows, a mixtape relase with Uprise Records, and strong collaborations with such artists as Jah Sun, Jah Elect, Badda Skat, Ancient Mind, Judahs, and Madi Simmons. Having opened for wildly popular reggae bands such as Tribal Style, Scholar's Word, and Jah Roots, Kana's live perfomance is an experience not to be missed.
So what can we expect in the future from such an enthusiastic and promising artist? " [You] can expect big things from me, with Jah's guidance and protection.” With an Uprise Records mixtape-album release and a Hawaiian tour slated for Summer time 2008, we can safely say things are just getting started for this simmering artist.
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