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<p>In the smallest elementary school in Hawai‘i, with only five classmates, the music career of one of Hawai‘i’s most beloved reggae artists started to take shape some three decades ago.</p>
<p>“They had a kupuna program,” said Sasha, adding that a kupuna (respected elder) would sing songs while the children would learn how to strum an ‘ukulele.</p>
<p>“That was my start on music,” said the artist known worldwide as Sashamon.</p>
<p>Many years have gone by since Sasha attended Molokai’s Maunaloa Elementary School, but he still keeps the warm, cool smile that only a person without worries in life could display. That’s Molokai style.</p>
<p>Sasha became famous after one of his songs, “Japanese Squeeze,” hit the charts on the Big Island. Following the success of that upbeat love song, “Necta” exploded all over Hawai‘i, making Sasha a household name, especially among the surfing crowd.</p>
<p>It has been a long road since Sasha first picked up the ‘ukulele, and certainly a bumpy one. But his relaxed attitude suggests an otherwise smooth ride, which may as well be true, since what really counts is how we react to life rather than what happens to us.</p>
<p>Mostly, Sasha’s music brings a positive message, speaking of love and peace. “Japanese Squeeze,” “Necta,” “Malia” and “Merry” could easily become any couple’s trademark love song. “Justice,” “Peaceful Vibration,” “Peaceizafya” and “Herbal Criminal” pretty much ask for a better world.</p>
<p>What make Sasha’s music so popular are lyrics that we easily identify with, and tunes that we cannot help but dance along to.</p>
<p>During Sasha’s senior year in high school, one of his friends introduced him to the guitar, and he was hooked on the instrument. After graduating high school Sasha left Molokai.</p>
<p>Luckily he landed not too far away, at O‘ahu’s University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.</p>
<p>“I didn’t have much of a social life; it was just me and my guitar, six hours a day,” he said of when he first started college.</p>
<p>Sasha laughs remembering how he used to beg people to teach him a thing or two on the guitar. He would borrow guitar magazines, and go to a 7-Eleven to make copies of songs with Xerox machines.</p>
<p>Utilizing a flexible liberal studies program at UH, Sasha shaped his own bachelor’s degree.</p>
<p>“Philosophy of arts, computer classes, drawing, painting, multimedia,” he said, listing some of his classes. “I created my own major, music and arts.”</p>
<p>Right around that time Sasha wrote his first song. He humbly credits the kupuna, who several years earlier gave him “the very basic understanding of music.”</p>
<p>Also at that time, Sasha got a job at the host stand at Duke’s Waikiki.</p>
<p>“Aloha, welcome to Duke’s, follow me to your table,” he says, joking about his lines at work.</p>
<p>“They put the pretty girls out there to kinda draw more business,” said Sasha, adding that the girls were always trying to give away shifts, which he promptly picked up.</p>
<p>His work back then may seem fun and upbeat, but Sasha said it was boring. So one day he asked his boss if he could bring his ‘ukulele along.</p>
<p>“Next thing I knew, I found myself there five days a week, three hours a night, playing the ‘ukulele, just messing around,” he said.</p>
<p>He kept singing what he learned on the guitar, but transferring to the ‘ukulele, just by remembering what he learned back in elementary school. Some people would jokingly advise him to never quit his day job, while others would be amazed by his music.</p>
<p>“I didn’t really know who to believe,” Sasha said.</p>
<p>Luckily for us, he believed in himself. Today we all can enjoy his upbeat music.</p>
<p>Molokai, a rural island with a 60 percent Native-Hawaiian population, breathes culture every single day, to a point that locals claim Molokai is the piko (center) of Hawaiian culture.</p>
<p>Music carries on the culture on a daily basis there. From government meetings to church affairs and community events, music opens and closes every gathering on Molokai. Even political enemies hold hands and chant.</p>
<p>If children are not introduced to music at home, they will embrace it at the schools. “I always wanted to say ‘Hawai‘i has the message,’” Sasha said. “The message is aloha.”</p>
<p>To the ‘opio, Sasha said Hawai‘i has the potential to become a modern Nashville. “Everyone is so talented here.”</p>
<p>Sasha has already influenced many with his lyrics. Back in 2004, when “Necta” exploded on the charts in - garden island
Reggae will never be the same now that Sashamon has delivered his debut album. He is reggae in its truest, purest form. Just as Bob Marley did in the past Sashamon has brought us stripped down and raw beats and lyrics that are organic and pertinent. The coolest thing, perhaps, about Sashamon is that he is from Hawaii, not Jamaica. You'd never guess that he didn't call the Caribbean island his home. But from one tropical paradise to another, the music still remains the same. He fills his music with passion, surely derived from the ocean and sunshine that is so plentiful in Hawaii. From here we can expect Sashamon to bring us more great music, potentially combining his love for reggae with his native island's signature sounds for an altogether outrageous combination of musical bliss. For now, this debut album gives us just the right amount of escape from our ordinary lives. - thisismodern.net
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Still working on that hot first release.
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Sashamon- (sa-sha-mon) - maybe because he grew up on Molokai, Sashamons music brings a unique peaceful vibe to the island music scene. The public first heard Sashamons blend of Reggae, Rock, and Hawaiian music on a homemade demo, which has now spread world wide with the support of top Kauai professional surfers.
The popular underground cd found its way to KWHI 92.7 Hawaiian Rhythms, Island Style, and Reggae, on the Big Island of Hawaii. With no press kit or label support, Japanese Squeeze amazingly became the stations most requested song and stayed on top for two months. Japanese Squeeze was replaced by another Sashamon song Necta which continues to be in heavy rotation. This popularity caused Big Islands KAPA 100.3 and KWXX 94.7 to give airplay on their stations.
Sashamon now has radio play on radio around the world. All over Hawaii, U.S, Italy, Guam, even Tahiti. there are too many stations to list.. Sashamon has also been featured on the local Kauai television program The Foundation, a Tahitian tow in video, and his music accompanies high performance surfing on Jaime O's movie Freak Show. and upcoming "Freak Show 2" Many other surf videos featuring Sashamon's music have followed including an Oneill video featuring Rochelle Ballard currently airing on Fuel t.v..
This popularity is encouraging Sasha to pursue a career in music, doing what he loves.
Sashamon became part of Hawaiis musical culture at a young age singing along with ukulele strumming Kupuna (respected elders), while attending elementary school on Molokais west side. Sasha feels blessed to have grown up on Molokai, a place reminiscent of days when music was still interwoven with family and community.
After high school, Sashamon, born Sasha Makia Spiller-Reiff, received a degree in Music and the Arts from the University of Hawaii. While attending UH, he began to compose and later record his first songs. One Day Maybe, Sashamons debut album, incorporates many diverse influences that blend to create an original, peaceful and memorable sound. Sasha composed and produced this recording in his home studio on Kauai, playing all the instruments including the ukulele, guitar, bass, keyboard, vocals, and drum sequencer. Sashamon is promoting his release with performances world wide.
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