Jonny Akamu Flood The Brim CD

Experimental Jazz guitarist Jonny Akamu, age 22, was bon in Kailua, Hawaii, but has spent the majority of his life in Bellingham, Washington. He remains tied to his Hawaiian roots through family and tradition, such as creating a hand-made lei for a special person in one’s life. As a typical “troubled teen” Jonny struggled to make sense out of who he was until he crossed paths with a guitar. The hours he spent with his treasured guitar in hand sealed music as his path to master. He was driven to learn as much as he could from all kinds, all styles. This search led to many late nights—either solo or experimenting with fellow musicians—in which Jonny worked to flesh out the contours of his musical vision to find that distinctive sound combining many styles. Jonny’s passion for music has taken him from the Orient to Europe, always in search of new techniques, influences, style, and rhythms. In 2005, he went to Seville, Spain to study flamenco guitar. The flamenco guitar has a particularly distinctive sound and playing action of its own that includes taps with the right-hand fingernails. The flamenco is considered a folk art originating in Andalusia, a southern province of Spain. Historically, it has always been the musical outlet of the poor and oppressed. Upon returning from Spain Jonny wove elements of the flamenco into his jazz phrasing to create his distinctive style.Jonny Akamu’s lyrics and sound capture the experiences of the life he lives, the places he has seen, and the people he knows.