KeAloha weaves survivor dreams into vibrant heartsongs, blending their Hawaiian, Tahitian, and Lheidli T’enneh roots with rich Black and Brown musical lineages. Their sound—an Indigi-Soul fusion of radical tenderness and strength—echoes where Keali’i Reichel meets India Arie, and Hiatus Kaiyote meets Labrinth. At twelve, KeAloha’s mother, ever resourceful, surprised them with drum lessons, sparking a lifelong rhythm shaped by dance, multi-instrumentalism, and the pulse of Polynesian, jazz-fusion, and urban Native traditions. Through melody, spoken word, rap, and chant, KeAloha calls for Re-Matriation, grounding their artistry in both resistance and reverence.
In 2018, KeAloha was selected from across Canada to drum for the Ottawa International Jazz Youth Summit, where a conversation and meditation with Herbie Hancock became a touchstone in their creative and spiritual journey. As a disabled Two-Spirit and Māhū artist, KeAloha channels ʻohana (family) medicine into their work, uplifting the most vulnerable and reimagining community through sound. Their debut single, “Mama’s Hands” (2021), reached the CBC Searchlight Top 100, while “Mahina”, their third single, climbed to #13 on the Indigenous Music Countdown—proof that healing, when sung, can move entire generations.
Name:
KeAloha (kay-ah-loh-hah). My Mama gave me my name. It means “the breath of life” in ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i, of my mixed maternal ancestry.
Genre:
Indigi-Soul
Founded:
Born to channel these medicines since Sag Szn 1995
# of Albums:
lhuk’ui! (1)
Latest Album:
MY BOOK OF PRAYERS
Latest Single:
NO MORE PROMISED LAND
Favourite musician growing up:
Keali’i Reichel is who comes to heart first! Since I was young, I would feel so very emotional when I listened to “E O Mai.” My ohana grew up in Lheidli Keyoh (“Prince George, BC”) jamming mixed Indigenous and Black artists, traditional Polynesian percussion, and Much Dance 2000’s mixes. When I think of Keali’i Reichel, I picture how kai (the ocean) greets the river—just as my identity has risen from Kanaka–Dakelh convergence. Keali’i Reichel’s music makes me think of living room hula practice with my Mama and siblings, the green carpet at Rainbow Village low-income housing, no furniture yet, just aloha. I long to be in that moment again often.
Favourite musician now:
Alice Skye, a mixed Aboriginal Wergaia/Wemba Wemba artist from Horsham. My love and admiration for Alice is about more than the music. It’s about being two Indigenous survivors and dreamers halfway across the globe from one another, yet feeling closer than ever through IndigiCrip portal openings. It’s highly sensitive knowing that we were meant to find each other at Sacred Buffalo Mountain in 2023, both half-decomposed as we gathered for Indigenous Singer-Songwriter composition. It’s the embers between us that remind me our voices—the voices of All Our Relations—are destined to Right Return.
Guilty pleasure song:
Where Are U Now (by two zionist artists who shall not be named. Skrillex collaborated with Palestinian artist Nai Barghouti in ‘23, though remains complicitly neutral and makes no political statements.)
Live show ritual:
Some Sagittarius neuro-spicy CPTSD disability chaos and last-minute inspiration sparkles! Tap in with my Ohana and ancestors—smudge, stretch, warm up, land grounding and commitments. Handwritten setlists and show intentions. Group huddle and prayer if I’m performing with bandmates.
Favourite local musician:
Shemedelyne, a Haitian artist and survivor. I have endless love and admiration for Shemedelyne—their authenticity makes me feel more safe to be my whole self. So healing to witness. Their voice opens worlds of survivor justice through sensuality and integrity—earthy low tones, baddy beats, bars, and melisma.
EP or LP?
Take a seat for the whole meal, babes.
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird hopes and dreams, night owl spirals. Neither, both—sleep is evasive, tehe.
Road or studio?
The Sagittarius in me just longs to adventure, learn, share, explore. I’m manifesting IndigiCrip-paced hangouts in Indigenous communities and reserves; I long to trade gifts, skills, and knowledge, and weave lasting creative resistance throughout our Nations.
Any shows or albums coming up?
MY BOOK OF PRAYERS, blooming 11/11/2025. This is my debut album—my devotion to LANDBACK movements, to ReMatriation, to Intifada in ever-growing and sustained action. This is my call for comrades to rise up with and behind Black and Indigenous kin, globally.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Soundcloud | Facebook
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Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
Axum Ethiopian and Chau Cafe.
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
East Hastings—because it’s the real reflection of the liberation work we must all contribute to. It beckons our kuleana—our privilege of responsibility. Ohana means family—may we leave no one behind, especially our most vulnerable and most targeted by fascist agendas.
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
Gosh, I guess Little Mountain Dog Park at sunset with my baby girl. The puppies playing makes me calmer. I love practicing powwow across that open field. I giggle and fist pump, taking up space there because it’s colonially named “Queen Elizabeth Park.” Ew!
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
Bathtub—built-in reverb satisfies the Scorpio rising siren in me. Also, Lynn River—singing to the water, I feel so held there. I love getting in on the tea that the land, water and air have to spill here. This is my community.
What is your favourite music store in your city?
I think of Rise Up Marketplace—founded by Roger Collins of Calabash Bistro (one of the longest-standing live music hubs in Vancouver, hosted by Black kin). I think of how my favourite “music” spots maybe aren’t made for music at all, but are hubs for kin to gather, eat, giggle, and grieve. I think of a newly born space—Enabling Arts—a multidisciplinary arts space focused on wellness through the arts, featuring local 2SQTBIPOC artists and their works, founded by Franz. I value spaces, pop-ups, and markets where the purpose is to gather, nourish, and exchange rather than buy and consume.
