“Flying Home” Marks Journey Home to Hawaii for Husband-Wife Duo
Mango Season’s evening in HPR’s Atherton Studio at 7:30 pm on Saturday, June 1st, will feature the premiere performance of the group’s debut album entitled “Flying Home.” The Kickstarter-funded album is an exploration of Annie and Curt’s journey home to Hawaii, and the sun-kissed island soul jazz music that was born of their travels and stories. The evening will include the live performance of their album - 9 original new works, 5 cover songs including a jazz-infused take on a classic Hawaiian hula, as well as a beautiful rendition of a Princess Likelike mele, and 5 different languages - as well as performances by guest artists featured on the album. Tickets are $30 general, $25 for HPR members, and $15 for students with ID. Reservations at 955-8821 during business hours.
Formed in Honolulu, Hawai?i in 2009, Mango Season writes, records and produces original music that traces a lifetime of heartbreak, minimum-wage jobs, world travel, friendship, social justice, and love together. Their live performances showcase Annie’s pillow-talk vocals with Curtis’ driving acoustic guitar and singer/songwriter sensitivity. Rounding out the core duo sound, Mango Season plays with different local talent the likes of bassist and vocalist Wil Tafolo from the band M.O.J.O., saxophonist Chris Yeh of the Chris Yeh Quartet and AIR, and drummer Rory Loughran originally of Vermont band The Pulse Prophets. Mango Season’s sound is a backyard dance party, smoky lounge club, hot Hawaiian night, and chronicle of good times all bottled into one.
Curtis Kamiya is a performer, private music instructor, worship team music director, and recording producer / engineer. He owns and operates Curtis Kamiya Music, providing private music instruction and recording studio services in downtown Honolulu. Curtis is the leader, artistic director, lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist of Mango Season. He received musical training and mentor-ship in guitar and voice at Punahou School. He met Annie, his wife and musical partner in Mango Season, at the University of Puget Sound. They met and lived in Seattle and San Francisco before finally settling in Honolulu. While living in Seattle, Curtis released his second album in 2005 entitled “21st and Geary”. Today Curtis teaches private lessons in guitar, ?ukulele, and voice at his private studio in downtown Honolulu. He also works with songwriters, producers, and recording artists to create small format recordings. Curtis can act as a producer, engineer, teacher and musician to infuse recordings with life and energy. He is the Executive Producer of Mango Season’s debut CD “Flying Home.”
Annie Kamiya is a mezzo-soprano vocalist and theatre performer with over 20 years experience as an entertainer, as well as lead vocalist and percussionist for Mango Season. Attracted to music and the arts at an early age, her household in rural Oregon was always filled with ‘70’s rock music, the sounds of singer/songwriters like Joan Baez, Carly Simon, Cat Stevens and Rickie Lee Jones, classical orchestral music and opera. She fine-tuned her singing through family performances and various choirs. Annie was mentored and trained in secular madrigal music, reflecting polyphonic styles of music from the European Renaissance and Baroque eras, by Mark Steighner and later in operatic music. She was accepted at the University of Puget Sound School of Music on a vocal performance and theatre scholarship, where she met and fell in love with her husband and musical partner Curtis Kamiya.
Wil Tafolo has been playing music since he was 9 years old. He began on ukulele and with choir, and quickly moved to learning the guitar and eventually the bass. He played guitar and sang with various groups and in choirs throughout his high school career at Punahou School, winning the award for Outstanding Music Student in 2004 at the Hawaii Music Awards. That same year he spent a few weeks flying to New Zealand and Samoa sharing the gift of Hawaiian music. Wil Tafolo’s musical influences span the spectrum from Jazz and Funk to Country and of course Hawaiian. Wil performs throughout Hawaii and the Mainland US currently with M.O.J.O, Truflo, and Mango Season as a lead vocalist and bassist.
Chris Yeh is a well recognized name in the Honolulu jazz scene. He enjoys playing saxophone and eating Kua’aina burgers, although not always at the same time. Chris plays a Selmer Super Action Series I alto saxophone, charged by a flux capacitor. He plays said saxophone in various musical and non-musical groups, but only Mango Season allows him to use it to play “Careless Whisper.”
Originally from Vermont, Rory Loughran relocated to Honolulu in late 2008. He’s been playing drums for over 25 years and plays with various groups in the Honolulu area. In addition to drums, he also has a solo act on guitar and vocals.
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