Tiana Malone Jennings
By Mālielani Larish
”You are supposed to do music,” Aunty Mahealani Kuamo‘o-Henry said as she gazed steadily into Tiana Malone Jenning’s eyes. “Hawai‘i is opening up your path and refining you for your purpose in the world.”
Tiana left Aunty Mahealani’s workshop that fateful day in 2008 with a song in her heart and a knot in her stomach. Did she dare to transform her passion into a career? Haunted by the thought of struggling to support her two young infants with music alone, she was nevertheless thrilled by Aunty Mahealani’s confidence. Aunty’s words continued to echo through her mind: The ancestors say it’s about acceptance. If you accept that this is your path, you will be taken care of and the ancestors will pave the path for you.
Eleven years later, Tiana is a singer-songwriter who glows with serenity and gratitude, confident in the value of her chosen path. Together with violinist virtuoso Hawk Devi, Tiana dedicates her clear soprano and melodious ‘ukulele to inspiring and uplifting humanity, strengthening her community, and expressing joy through music. She embraces and experiments with many genres of music, including pop, blues, island reggae, country, bluegrass, gospel, and most recently, traditional Hawaiian music. Her new album, a mix of pop and traditional Hawaiian music, is set to debut as this issue of Ke Ola Magazine goes to press.
Musical Roots and a Splash of Hawai‘i
By the time Tiana was five years old, she was already playing bass, guitar, piano, and singing harmony. Tiana’s parents and extended family thrived on music, spending their free time jamming together amidst laughter and jokes in a close-knit Chamorro community in southern California.
Tiana’s mother, who is full-blooded Chamorro from Guam, sang soprano and her French-Spanish father played violin and saxophone.
When Tiana was six years old, her parents bought land in Puna. She recalls swimming at the black sand beach in Kalapana one month before Pele reclaimed the beloved landmark in 1990. The lava flows dampened her parents’ interest in moving to the islands, so the family moved to Oregon instead, to be closer to her father’s relatives.
During middle school, Tiana’s passion for singing blossomed under the guidance of her choir teacher, who lived by the philosophy of striving for excellence and singing for the joy of it. A brave friend of Tiana’s resorted to jumping into a lake to finally convince Tiana to join the well-respected choir, which attracted 100 of her middle school classmates! A decade later, she would come to emulate her choir teacher, coaxing amateur singers to realize the strength of their own voice.
Return to Hawai‘i
After her father’s passing, Tiana found herself asking the profound questions at the age of 24: What is life about? What are we here for? Did God make a 40-hour work week? Recalling her parents’ land in Puna, Tiana decided to seek clarity on Hawai‘i Island.
Arriving with just a suitcase, she eased into island life by volunteering as a summer nanny for her aunty’s kids in Kona. Then it was time to confront the jungle that had consumed her parents’ Puna land. With the help of a hānai (informally adopted) uncle and her boyfriend, three days of physical labor cleared enough of a spot in the overgrowth to pitch a tent. Here, Tiana offered blessings to the land and embarked on the “off-the-grid” lifestyle.
Diving into Music
After hearing Aunty Mahealani’s words of wisdom, Tiana jumped into music with the same fearlessness and enthusiasm that brought her to the island. She started writing her own songs, and in 2014 she released her first album, Gifts of the Earth. Instead of the term ‘band,’ Tiana prefers to call the talented musicians who accompany her a “musical ‘ohana” (family).
Although Tiana’s musical ‘ohana changes constantly, Tiana is extremely grateful for the partnership of Hawk Devi, the violinist who has stayed with her through it all. Click on a video of Tiana and Hawk playing together, and you will witness the beautiful synergy between them, a synergy that Tiana describes as “magic.”
A violin virtuoso from the age of three, Hawk Devi debuted her first solo at 12 and played Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall at 18. After walking away from classical music, she toured with jazz giant Dizzy Gillespie in Europe for a year simply to attune her ear to improvisation, and she has been improvising ever since.
A Positive Voice in the Community
Tiana is deeply committed to building community; she often plays at local benefit fundraisers and finds great fulfillment in organizing and co-teaching women’s chorus groups in Hilo, Puna, and Hawaiian Paradise Park in the fall and winter. Her lyrics unapologetically explore social issues that affect the community. For example, her song about Maunakea asks, “Where is the money for our indigenous communities?” and her song “Children of the Light” observes “teachers who work for pennies are responsible for our future generations.”
The community has likewise rewarded her with support and opportunities. Rick Jitchaku, of Hilo Ukulele and Guitar, has donated looper peddles, strings, and instruments to her band; provided a space where she can record music videos; and hosted performances by the Hilo Women’s Chorus. Award-winning local musicians Dennis and Christy Soares, long-time mentors to Tiana, recently gifted her with free printing of her latest CD. In addition, restaurants like the Vibe Café have consistently booked her for performances and sponsored her summer tour.
Tiana has opened for legends like John Cruz, Cyril Pahinui, and Hapa, and she is often asked to collaborate on musical projects. “Koto Iwi,” a song by Maui-based musician Kaleo Phillips, features Tiana as the women’s chorus. It made it to the preliminary round of the Grammys, and Tiana had a blast working on it.
Throughout her evolution as a musician, Tiana remains humble and remembers to have fun, which is the message behind her song “Stay True.” The “Stay True” music video shows Tiana and her musical ‘ohana in light-hearted moments of laughter and frolicking, even using the Target storefront as a playground. Tiana’s performances showcase the deep soul connection that she has to her music and the pure emotion that radiates from that connection.
Every year Tiana looks forward to playing at music festivals across the mainland. “The touring circuit is tons of fun,” she says. During the last summer tour, her daughters, ages 10 and 11, even joined her to sing onstage. With her partner acting as the videographer and sound person, the whole family is part of the action.
Confirmation
Feedback from her listeners washes away any doubt or misgivings that Tiana may have about committing to the path of music.
Tiana’s up-tempo original “Children of the Light” includes a sobering interlude about the police brutality experienced by the Standing Rock water protectors in 2016. Two people who were physically present during those attacks thanked her for her truthful narrative, and one gentleman even gifted her with a jar of ashes from the sacred Standing Rock fire.
When Mike McCartney, Governor Ige’s former chief of staff, heard Tiana’s rendition of Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole’s heart-wrenching classic “Hawai‘i ’78,” he walked up to the stage where Tiana was performing at the Hawai‘i State Democratic Convention. “Thank you. I heard my ancestors singing through you,” he said.
Tiana was touched to hear these words. A friend had essentially tricked Tiana into playing at the convention, and when she finally learned of the venue an hour before her scheduled appearance, she assumed that she would nix most of her songs that touch on controversial subjects. However, a Democratic staffer encouraged her to play these songs, so Tiana agreed. Tiana was grateful for the positive response—young attendees were even capturing her performance with a wave of smartphones.
Tiana’s songwriting process is deeply spiritual. When she experiences an emotion that yearns to emerge in song, she connects to her na‘au (spiritual center), opens herself up to her higher source, and asks “What can I sing in this song that’s going to cause more upliftment and healing for myself and the world?”
Tiana tunes her instruments to specific solfeggio frequencies, which were used by monks of ancient Egypt for healing purposes. At first she was skeptical about the frequencies, but after seeing the response in her audiences, she knew that these frequencies added an angelic dimension to her music. She has seen audience members moved to tears, especially when she performs traditional Hawaiian music with these frequencies.
Inspired by her kumu’s observation that the Hawaiian language has a high spiritual vibration, lately Tiana has incorporated traditional Hawaiian music into her repertoire. Local singer and slack-key master Ben Kaili acts as her Hawaiian music mentor, giving her advice and offering her feedback about her Hawaiian performances.
Tiana’s humble dream is to tour across Hawai‘i, the mainland, and abroad with her family. Reflecting on her journey as a storyteller and truth-bringer, Tiana says “I need to stay true to myself. By doing that I am uplifting myself, healing myself and the world around me.” ❖
For more information: offthegridmusic.org
