From February 14th - 17th, the first edition of Hawaii's E Komo Mai made a big impression.
The most famous island in the world came alive with a friendly crowd of music lovers and some world class sounds from tasteful acts. The whole thing had an intimate feel and a magical aura no doubt thanks to the unique setting, lush beaches, paradise like ocean and gorgeous palm trees.
Dancing happened in a stripped back 50-foot ceiling warehouse that took on various vibes each night, with a beefy sound system and great visuals adding to the atmospheres. As well that, there was day time dancing with breathtaking views of Hawaii’s famous Diamond Head Crater landmark.
Sustainability was never from the conversation at the festival, with various eco-minded charitable organisations and brands all linked up. Beyond the music, the day time activities were nourishment for the soul with yoga to enjoy, and a beach clean up all the to bring people together. Add in surfing, paddle boarding, exploring the flora and fauna of the island, ancient Polynesian culture, pop-up shops and plenty more and you have something truly special.
As thoughts already turn to next year, we round up five of the best acts from this year's bold, ambitious, and brilliant debut edition.
Mark Farina Alohilani Resort Pool Deck, Saturday Feb 15 4:30-9:30pm
Mark stepped things up a notch as he extended his set to stretch 3.5hrs! This panoramic view location with city sea views and colossal projections embodying the E Komo Mai brand of Hawaiian beauty seduced eveyone in sight into a funky swell of dancing. Suprise bongo players and flute performers joined Mark to really bring the show to life.
Mikey lion b2b Doc Martin - PURE nightcub, Saturday 15 Feb 9pm-4am
The island brought the best of the Desert Hearts vibes from Mikey and pushed him into a wider range going b2b with Doc Martin for a journey of dark disco vibes, smooth tech grooves and rare 80’s edits. It really was a partnership of gold in this beautiful club setting. The giant banjo tree that grew from behind the decks and into the ceiling gave the night an eerie and epic feel.
VNSSA - Buho, Sunday Feb 16 4-9pm
Talk about laying down house track after house track, infusing soundtracks from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s along with recent waves from Green Velvet & Patrick Topping - VNSSA brought the sun down in style and had the dancefloor of this quirky mexican spot pumping from start to finish. Sacha Robotti, Kill Frenzy, Gavin from Walker & Royce, DJ Dan all joined the dancefloor to enjoy her set. Her closing track choice of Fleetwood Mac - Dreams was a special moment.
Andres Henneberg, La Mariana Sailing CLub, Monday Feb 17 12pm-4pm
This was a truly special performance in Waikiki's oldest Tiki bar, Andreas had the dance floor rubbing elbows & bouncing to every track being played. Casted out on the marina between multiple boat docks and situated under rose bushes and colored glass was the perfect place for a daytime soirée ...this sailing club really lived up to its name and was the perfect place for Andres to get comfortable and educate the dance floor with his take on what dance music is all about
Anabel Englund, Rumfire, Monday Feb 17 4pm-9pm
Anabel performed like a glistening mermaid that has emerged from the ocean next to Diamond Head, covering all her best tracks. The pinnacle was the most recent "Messing With Magic" which she produced with Jamie Jones, that saw her float around the room angelically, as the crowd danced and watched in awe as the sun set. Jackson Englund performed a beautiful set alongside her as they brought the weekend's festivities to a close.