Mauka to Makai host Roger Bong always considers the generations of local musicians who have embraced every genre, style and sound imaginable. In addition to hosting Mauka to Makai on Sundays at 4 p.m., Roger also operates Aloha Got Soul — a music label, record store and blog — and DJs around town. On Mauka to Makai, he brings the sound of the people who call Hawai‘i home, from the mountain to the ocean and everything in between, to HPR-1.
1. What is your inspiration for Mauka to Makai?
Through my involvement with Aloha Got Soul, curating our music label releases means I'm constantly surrounded by music. There's so much great music coming out of Hawaiʻi, and HPR's weekly hour-long open format allows me to showcase and feature so many different musical talents on the air. Mauka to Makai is a great way to feature more music outside what we're able to share through Aloha Got Soul. We can't cover it all — the music shared is just a small slice of what is out there.
2. How do you discover new music?
Social media is a great tool to discover new music. I follow artists who recommend music created by their friends. Spotify is another great tool as it has a lot of playlists curated by artists, so I spend a lot of time listening over there. I also get a lot of suggestions for new music at Aloha Got Soul. Lots of people, young and old, come through the store each week and share their suggestions. Artists come by to browse our collection and through talking story, I learn about a lot of new music.
3. How do you decide what to play each week?
A lot of what I play is based on feeling, based on gut and based on what I am currently enjoying. Even at live DJ gigs, I work with an open-flow format — there's not necessarily a theme. That's the beauty of radio — there are so many different ways to produce a show. Some DJs plan and some have scripts. I like to play the music and see what comes of it. Lately, I've been playing music from newer artists Royce Fisherman, 8RO8, Ragamuffs, and Temple Waves. Music from the past that you'll hear includes Joanie Komatsu, Herb Ohta Sr., Kona Blend, and Kalapana.
4. What is something you hope listeners take away from the music you play?
I hope listeners feel inspired knowing that Hawaiʻi has so much to offer. We have a lot of Hawaiian and Jawaiian music that has a lot of support on the radio and through local concerts, But there are so many artists from the islands who are making other kinds of music. As a casual listener, I hope Mauka to Makai inspires you to know that we are a diverse community creating all kinds of art, in addition to Hawaiian and Jawaiian music which are already strongly represented. But what about other artists and other genres? I hope the show instills more confidence in those artists to keep doing what they're doing. Mauka to Makai is another avenue to get more music out there.
5. Anything else you'd like our listeners to know?
If you're reading this and have a room or garage full of records you don't need, contact me or give Aloha Got Soul a call. There's so much music out there that we don't know about. If you're not sure what to do with the music in your home, reach out. As DJs, a lot of this is about archiving music for the sake of posterity. The work we are doing has a big component of posterity — we want to make sure we continue to listen to this music and continue to share it. Help us rescue it from being left unheard.
Mauka to Makai is a weekly exploration of the rich musical fabric of Hawai‘i and will air every Sunday from 4-5 p.m. on HPR-1. Listen to the archives.
