Kaila Hawai'i

Beautiful cherry blossoms against a spring sky, perhaps?
Think again, and be sure to not get too close or you’ll feel a sharp sting.
These delicate, flower-like petals belong to a jellyfish. Combing by beauty and the potential for pain, the undulating sea creature is the key motif of the clip for “Graceful Ways” by Japanese electronica [...]

Several holiday seasons ago, at a very different time in my life, I discovered Faye Wong, the Chinese pop singer. Wong’s first claim to fame in the West had come from her luminous performance in Wong Kar Wai’s nineties cult classic Chungking Express, which featured her cover of The Cranberries’ “Dreams”.
In 2003, the year I [...]

One of Kaila Hawai‘i’s favorite clips on YouTube recently has been the debut video from Tikahiri, “Tapea te paari”, off their first album, Tamaki Hope’a. Firstly, the song is killer, combining acoustic rock and Tuamotu language—a totally unique sound for Tahiti and the rest of Te Ao Mā‘ohi. But stylewise, we’re digging brothers Aroma and [...]