I’land Boiz, a Kohala-based band, has been playing the Big Island since 1992, starting initially as Jawaiian Made. In 1993, the group assumed its current name and released its first single, “Island Babe,” which garnered radio attention throughout Hawaii. The next year, the group released its debut album, “Kohala Style,” featuring guest musicians, such as John Keawe. In 1996, the band decided to take a break that ultimately lasted 13 years.
In May 2009, the band got back together and by 2011, the new single “The Only Reason” hit the air waves. I’land Boiz is also talking about making another CD.
I’land Boiz member Billy Rodrigues, this week, took time out of his busy schedule to talk with Big Island Entertainment Scene about the band.
Q: How do you describe your music to people?
A: “When you come and here us play, it’s real up-tempo. But what we do is read the crowd, and, so we play it all different (based on) what we see out there, who’s out there. We can play that reggae music, if it’s a younger crowd, but we can switch it to the country music. … But, we play lively no matter what.”
Q: Who would enjoy your music and why?
A: “We try to please everyone when we play music, it’s not just for the young or the old, we just try to mix it up for everybody. There’s all different types of ages of people that’s out there, they’re like the different ages of music whether it’s like the 60s 70 80s, so, we have pretty much music for whatever age group is out there – that’s what we try to do.”
Q: How did I’land Boiz come to be?
A: “When I came back from college, I ran into a couple of the members, Gilbert (Osaki), and we were playing under the tree, and a couple of the other band members (Derek Higa and Edwin Valenzuela) were playing with other groups, just Hawaiian music, and they wanted to play reggae music, which we we were into — that Jawaiian type of music — and that’s how, they just called us up and said, ‘Hey, let’s get together and try to put something together,’ which we did. We hooked up with Derek and Edwin in the band first and we became Jawaiian Made, and then it took off from there and we brought other guys into the group and we changed the name to I’land Boiz. About a year later, we did a recording on Oahu with Pierre Grill, our first song we ever recorded was ‘Island Babe,’ a slow song, a love song actually. And, that’s what actually got us going.”
Q: The band took a lengthy hiatus, starting in the mid-1990s, how did you all get back together?
A: “We just felt like we broke up at the wrong time. We had a lot of opportunities for ourselves, which was to travel Japan and do some tours, and then we broke up only because some of our group members’ lives took them in different directions.” (After the hiatus), “we just decided that we still got more music that we want to share, though some of us were still playing music with other bands, we just missed that camaraderie that we had. We ran into each other one day, myself and guitar player Patrick Lucas, and were talking story, and decided to call the band members, and everyone was like, ‘yea, let’s do a reunion.’ And, we did a wedding party for one our friends and right after that it just took off and next thing you know, we are playing for different parties and venues.
“It felt like we just jumped back in the seat again – it felt like we didn’t miss a step. … It just felt good to get back again.”
Q: What are the I’land Boiz’s musical influences?
A: “No doubt Kapena, Hawaiian music, definitely some groups like The Lim Family and John Keawe from Kohala. As far as the reggae influence, of course Bob Marley and Gregory Isaacs, groups like that.”
Q: How do you hope your music makes people feel?
A: “We hope they take back that aloha, you know that feeling. … We want them to feel what the local music scene has to offer and what it feels like. To give them a little something of the island flavor.
“That’s the whole point: to make them feel that aloha spirit and what island music is about.”
Follow I’land Boiz at ilandboiz.com and on Facebook (I’landBoiz). Music is available for purchase on iTunes.