Mon, 09/02/2013 - 5:23 pm

Back for its 2nd year, Dancefestopia is soon to make a repeat appearance in Kansas City, MO.  Featuring over 60 EDM and hip-hop artists including big names such as Wiz Khalifa, Porter Robinson, Mac Miller, Lotus, EOTO, Adventure Club and more, festival goers far and wide are making their way to the Midwest to take part in the popular festival.The much-anticipated event will take place on September 13th and 14th at Berkeley Riverfront Park in Kansas City.  The party will include activities stretched over 40 acres of uncorrupted Midwestern fields securing its patrons in a magical and enchanted atmosphere.  With artists playing throughout the day until up to 5am across 3 separate stages, Dancefestopia will be an epic experience.Borda Productions has worked hard to make improvements on the two year old festival by providing activities in association with the Vibe Tribe KC such as a prop show, LED light show, side show acts, live painting, stilts, workshops and more.With only 9 days to go, weekend passes are still available for $114.99 on the Dancefestopia website.  They also feature a “no money down” option as well as an exclusive VIP experience.  If you missed out on this EDM sensation last year, do yourself a favor and get there this year.Learn more about our writers!  Check out Maria's Twitter.

Wed, 09/16/2020 - 7:50 pm

Soulful singer and talented musician Tavana will release his fifth full-length album, Sway, this Friday, Sept. 18. The highly-anticipated album features 12-tracks of island-inspired rock and blues accompanied by a wide variety of different sound elements, and more guest artist features than ever before including Mike Love, Ron Artis II, Paul Izak, and Caleb Keolanui (The Green). Tavana’s next level musicality produces a rich experience uniquely captured throughout the new soundtrack. The album is currently available for pre-order on iTunes.

Tavana kicks off the new album with a virtual release party Saturday, Sept. 19 at 5pm HST. The live stream event will feature a performance by Tavana himself with an opening set by folk and reggae artist Paul Izak. Tickets for the online concert are currently available for $20 on Eventbrite and include a personally signed CD.

Purchase tickets HERE.

“I am so excited for people to hear the new album,” said Tavana. “I really poured my heart and soul into every song on this album. The process was incredibly fulfilling to me, and I hope listeners get something out of it, especially during these uncertain times.”

Sway will follow up Tavana’s fourth album Aloha Spirit which was nominated for a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for Best Contemporary Album of the Year in 2017. Stand out tracks on the new album include “True,” bringing Tavana and Mike Love together for an intimate anthem about love and vulnerability, as well as title-track “Sway” featuring Tavana’s classic soulful sound with acoustic elements.

Thu, 01/07/2021 - 5:31 pm

Hawaii artist Tavana will release a never-before-seen music video of “Plastic Island” featuring Paul Izak off his fifth full-length album Sway, on Friday, January 15, 2021 at 10 a.m. HST in partnership with environmental non-profits, Surfrider Foundation and Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation’s Plastic Free Hawai‘i program. Tune in to watch the premiere on YouTube and Facebook. A teaser of the official music video can be viewed HERE.

Inspired by former manager Al Smith’s passion for spearheading beach clean-ups, Tavana felt motivated to write a piece highlighting Hawaii’s plastic problem. His goal in writing the song was to unite listeners in the realization of how serious the plastic pollution issue is not only in Hawaii but throughout the world.

“Hawaii sits in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre. We are essentially the North Pacific’s collection area for plastic,” explained Lauren Blickley, Hawaii Regional Manager at Surfrider Foundation. “In the past, our beaches were comprised of natural materials like driftwood and shells. Today, many of these natural materials have been replaced with plastic - a material that is responsible for the large-scale pollution of our ocean and environment.”

Tavana’s vision for “Plastic Island” was to create a stop-motion animated film in which objects are physically moved in small increments and captured one frame at a time. To achieve this, Tavana partnered with Hawaii-based collective Three Tree Creative and multi-dimensional artist Charles-Antoine Vallieres. The organic partnership between all creative parties resulted in a revolutionary music video aimed at bringing awareness to the global issue of plastic pollution.

The stop motion video features unaltered plastic pieces collected from local beaches throughout Hawaii. The films unique visuals provide a gateway for people who wouldn’t initially be connected to plastic pollution to begin to understand the overall scope and scale of the tragic realities resulting from microplastic contamination.

“My hope is that this song and music video will have an influence on companies big and small and encourage them to look into implementing more sustainable items and packaging,” said Tavana. “If we can work together in pushing the world toward a more sustainable way of life, I would be extremely happy about that.”

Tune in to watch the “Plastic Island” official music video premiere via YouTube and Facebook beginning Friday, January 15, 2021, at 10 a.m. HST.

How to Get Involved

Monday, January 18 is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service! Head to your local beach to do a Solo Beach Cleanup! Check out these Solo Beach Cleanup Guidelines from Surfrider Foundation that includes tips and resources for a successful cleanup.

Learn how to make your home ocean-friendly by reading this blog by Surfrider Foundation  or check out how to reduce single-use plastics in your life by exploring these tips from Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation Plastic Free Hawai’i program.

Interested in learning more about plastic pollution? Check out Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s Plastic Free Hawai‘i program  and Surfrider Foundation’s online resources! 

Get involved with an organization that is working to reduce plastic pollution in your community!

Get the Music

Download or stream Sway album including the “Plastic Island” single feat. Paul Izak by Tavana here:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0U5jqo6aQqEwCk8ekQOfXd

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/sway/1526938506

A hard copy of the CD and merchandise can be purchased at ShopTavana.com.

Catch Tavana live at one of his upcoming performances listed below. For more information visit, https://www.tavana808.com.

TAVANA – LIVE

1/23 HB Social Club | Honolulu, HI

1/29 ShoreFyre | Honolulu, HI

1/30 ShoreFyre | Honolulu, HI

1/31 ShoreFyre | Honolulu, HI

Tue, 04/20/2021 - 1:53 pm

After the success of his fifth full-length album, Sway, Tavana is taking his new EP Just Be You on tour with stops in Texas, Florida, and more.

The four-track EP produced by veteran broadcaster and production director Johnny Helm, features 12-tracks of island-inspired rock and blues accompanied by a wide variety of different sound elements, and more guest artist features than ever before including Mike Love, Ron Artis II, Paul Izak, and Caleb Keolanui (The Green).

“I am so excited to share the new EP with people in a live setting,” said Tavana. “I really poured my heart and soul into every song on this album. The process was incredibly fulfilling to me, and I hope listeners get something out of it, especially following these uncertain times."

‘Just Be You’ Spring 2021 Tour Dates

4/29 – House of Rock – Corpus Christi, TX

5/1 – Kunstler Brewing – San Antonio, TX

5/2 – Empire Control Room (early brunch show) – Austin, TX

5/5 – Coconuts on the Beach – Cocoa Beach, FL

5/7 – Debauchery – Melbourne, FL

5/8 – Prohibition Kitchen – St. Augustine, FL