Why Pacific Reggae Is Massive and Is Here To Stay

We all know by now that Pacific Reggae is a thing, but after his first trip to Hawaii, Kahlil Wonda gained a whole new perspective.

Cloaked in reggae's nirvana, Pacific Reggae is an INCREDIBLE musical treat. The genre has grown tremendously in the last few years and shows NO signs of slowing down!

Post a trip to Maui in Hawaii, Kahlil realized the island’s profound love for the genre of music - it was everywhere, right from their local radio to restaurants, and popular venues! In fact, the whole of the place supports reggae, making it the predominant music genre in Maui. The beat is slow and steady, but definitely pulsating. (Maui is an island in the Central Pacific, part of the Hawaiian archipelago.)

In this episode of the Reggae Lover Podcast, Kahlil Wonda and Agard explore why Pacific Reggae is massive, and here to stay for longer than we can imagine!

We also learn the nuances of Pacific music and the subtle elements that make it different from its contemporaries. The duo walks us through the journeys of successful reggae artists in the Pacific, including J Boog, Hirie, Anuhea, Mike Love, The Green, and Rebelution (to name a few), and how many of them turned to become global sensations!

Here’s a quick recap of some things we discuss:

• Kahlil shares insights from his trip to Maui and why he was blown away by the city’s acceptance of reggae
• About Mauian radio - their popular radio stations and selection of music ( Paia 92.5 FM aka Hi92 is one of them)
• How does Collie Buddz’s music reflect his love for island music?
• The future of Pacific Reggae

Here are a few reggae artists, including Pacific islander and West Coast artists and bands, mentioned in the episode!

Colin Patrick Harper, better known by his stage name Collie Buddz, is a Bermudian reggae artist best known for his single "Come Around”.

Tilmann Otto, better known by his stage name Gentleman, is a German reggae musician.

Kabaka Pyramid is a conscious revolutionary lyricist with a unique musical style; blending the power, energy, and melody of Reggae with the lyricism of Hip hop. Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica. This Bebble Rock Music artist uses his liquid and hypnotizing delivery to spread positive messages of spiritual evolution that force you to listen.

J-Boog is a rapper, singer, actor, and member of the R&B group B2K with Lil' Fizz, Omarion, and Raz B. He was born and raised in Compton, California.

Hirie of the exhilarating reggae band HIRIE–grew up a global citizen. The mission to spread HIRIE began in 2013, and, since then, the septet has garnered some high watermarks.

Anuhea is a singer, songwriter, and musician from the island of Maui in Hawaii.

Michael Edward Love is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine.

The Green is a reggae band formed in 2009 from Oahu, Hawaii. Their sound blends dub-heavy roots reggae, smooth lovers' rock, contemporary pop, and rock with indigenous Hawaiian musical/lyrical references.

Inna Vision is known as Maui Hawaii's first original roots, a reggae band, and has been considered one of Hawaii's foundation roots reggae bands with the overall message promoting love from Hawaii to the world.

Jesse David Royal is a Jamaican reggae musician. In 2017 Royal recorded the album Lily of da Valley, released by Easy Star Records in October. The album topped the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.

Don Corleon is a Jamaican record producer, songwriter, and mixer. He has worked with artists including Migos, Sean Paul, Sizzla, Keyshia Cole, Rihanna, Bounty Killa, Vybz Kartel, Shaggy, Romeo Santos, Nicki Minaj, Pressure, Gentleman, Protoje, and Pitbull.

Collin Demar Edwards, better known by his stage name Demarco, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae recording arti...