Born and raised on Oahu’s North Shore, singer-songwriter Jack Johnson still remembers the times when browsing in Waikiki on the opposite side of the island was a bit like a day trip. “When I used to be a child within the 70s, this ride seemed very long to me. It was mostly dirt roads to get there,” Johnson said in a video chat from his farm on the island.
He also remembers hearing about an area chef, Ed Kenney, who supported and promoted local agriculture. “We have an issue in Hawaii where 90 percent of our food is shipped. Ed was one in all the primary chefs, 20 years ago, to actually talk concerning the importance of shopping for local ingredients. Not just for the local economy, but additionally in order that when people eat out, they’re trying food that was grown in Hawaii.”
Mr. Johnson, knowledgeable surfer before becoming a platinum music artist, is an lively environmental activist along with his wife Kim. In 2003, they founded Kokua Hawaii Foundation, which supports environmental education in Hawaiian schools and communities. Over the years, they’ve helped plant school gardens, launched recycling programs and encouraged the elimination of single-use plastic items, and recently acquired a farm where schoolchildren visit for hands-on environmental education.
Johnson’s latest album, In Between Dub, released this month, is a set of a few of his favorite songs from his 20-year profession, remixed as dub remixes by a few of reggae’s biggest names.
Here are five of his favorite places to go to on Oahu.
1. Waikiki Beach
“It can get quite busy so recommending someone to go to may look like a fun place to go, however it’s the very best place on the earth to learn to surf. Anyone at any level can get within the water and play in Waikiki,” Johnson said. “There are these beach boys along the beach who rent surfboards. Many of them grew up within the water and are probably the most competent people to show you methods to surf.” Even if learning to hold ten is not a part of the plan, Waikiki is an important place to observe the sunset while experienced surfers do their thing.
“It’s been around and altered locations through the years since I used to be a child, but that is where I purchased my first CDs,” Johnson said. “It’s form of scripted within the sense that the individuals who work there are music fans, and once you are available and ask questions, they’re really friendly and show you around.” The store has what Mr. Johnson calls an “amazing collection” of classic Hawaiian music on vinyl, making it “probably the very best place on the earth” for anyone all in favour of Hawaiian music, traditional or contemporary. “I actually have a big record collection thanks hungry earsaid Mr Johnson, who also likes to purchase records when he’s on tour. “I feel CDs are price buying on the go because they’re flat so you’ll be able to put them between your clothes and so they don’t take up an excessive amount of space.
“Mud hen water that is my favorite restaurant in hawaii. Ed Kenney is the chef and he’s amazing. He hosts a PBS show called “Family Ingredients” and it’s made right here in Hawaii. The food is great and made by someone born and raised in Hawaii who really knows Hawaiian traditions.” Favorite dish to try? “I’d say anything on the menu with kalo, which is the basis of taro and one of the crucial traditional staples of Hawaiian cuisine.”
“Someone gave us tickets as a present when our youngsters were probably around five years old. We took our youngsters to almost every show they ever placed on because they were just amazing,” said Johnson, who called the theater’s narrative “very Hawaiian.”
“It’s a variety of traditional myths and stories about people like Eddie Aikau and Duke Kahanamoku,” Johnson said, referring to the 2 legendary Hawaiian surfers. “They tell stories you could only hear or see once you’re here. Highly advisable for those who are traveling with children.”
5. Waimea Valley
Neglected for a long time, Waimea Valley is now a non-profit botanical garden and conservation area that provides workshops on Hawaiian history and culture, in addition to educational performances and demonstrations. “It’s a ravishing valley and, I’d say, a really sacred place,” Johnson said, referring to Waimea’s deep roots in Hawaiian history and tradition, including the stays of sacred sites, homes and sanctuaries – some believed to have been built around 1470 A.D. there is a nice waterfall and an extended trail open to everyone,” he said, referring to the nearly mile-long paved path that winds through the valley to Wailele Falls. There are wonderful examples of “native plants and tropical plants from all over the world” along the trail, in addition to interpretive signs that provide insight into the valley’s flora, fauna, and history.
