Show Notes
Mana, the new album by Kalia Vandever, takes its name from a Native Hawaiian term for spiritual energy or sacred power. It’s an intentional gesture from an artist who has long possessed the instinct of a shape-shifter.
In addition to trombone, Vandever works with electronics and synthesizers on the album, as well as vocals — a first, inspired in part by their experiences with Haley Heynderickx, Japanese Breakfast and Harry Styles.
Before a mesmerizing solo performance at Solar Myth, Vandever joined Nate Chinen for a conversation about myth and mystique, collaboration and solitude, and what it means to open up in new ways as an improvising artist.
Chapters
00:00 — Intro: Entering the World of Mana
05:11 — Interview Begins: Hawaiian Ancestry, Spirituality & Inspiration
13:20 — Touring with Harry Styles and Finding a Performance Voice
20:21 — Singing, Songwriting & Emotional Honesty on Mana
29:07 — International Anthem, Genre and the Evolution of Kalia's Music
35:43 — Interview Wrap-Up
37:09 — “This I Dig”: Micah Thomas's Lucid & Emily Wilson's The Odyssey
42:20 — Producer's Picks: Henry Solomon, Louis Armstrong & Laurent Benedict
49:06 — Credits
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