Hawaiian trip photos

Around the end of the 1990ies I was kind of stuck on the island Bømlo, were I was born and raised. My selfconfidence among other musicians were not at it’s peak to be honest. I had problems with trusting anyone and felt always disconnected and like an outsider. It was easy to go for a «calmer» of alcohol on those settings, which did not make it any better. 

On a jamsession in Bømlo Hotell one night, this darker skinned “Indianer” look like and selfconfident troubadour showed up. At that time I was reading alot of Native American books, and was draw alot to that culture. It was like this guy Renn Loren, that was his name, kind of saw right through me, and had a big laugh on my behalf.  

Sometimes the fact is best when it is given to us right in our face, so that we can do something with it, whatever it is. Renn, as I learned to know over some years, was that kind of a person. He didn’t put anything between what he observed and what he returned as a feedback to it. It felt very shocking at first, which some truthful reflections can feel sometimes. I though knew, luckily at that point, that there are not any coincidental meeting like this, and therefore not any reason to make up any victim role. It was definitely a part of a learning process that was going on in my life, and Renn was seemingly a part of it.

Renn would show himself as a brilliant singer songwriter and artist, experienced by many years as a troubadour in both America and later Europe. He had shared stage with many of the big names in LA at the 70 - 80ies, and was not taking any “besserwisser” showoffs from anyone. But my solo guitar skills should give me and us the opportunity to work together in different band concepts Renn had put up while he was living in the city of Haugesund with his fiancé Mona and their son Keilani. 

After my divorce in 2005, I one year later took Renn’s offer to travel with them to Honolulu in Hawaii. In thanks for those good but also challenging years of collaboration with Renn, I will like to share these few photos from that adventures journey. The scary feeling of getting totally lost, was in a way a gift and an opportunity to find back to the trust, calmness and joy nature tried to show me during those 3 weeks. 

I nearly drowned the first morning, then Renn backed me up with taking me out snorkeling for the rest of the day so the fear could slip. After one and a half week, Renn, Mona and Keilani left and I was seemingly alone on the islands of Hawaii. Starting first with a long bicycle trip, ending up in a wrong direction and cycling 4 hours on a 4 field’s motorway. Thinking I’m in “paradise” and alone on a remote beach, for so swimming happily naked in the sea, obviously observed and told that I better get my shorts on or being arrested. Playing ukulele in the music shops, asked to come back do a concert next year. Then finally learning bit by bit to stand on a surfboard, finding patient and trust to wait for nature and the right wave.. the right moment… for so to do my act of surfing through life!

When I think back, ”something” in this universe (maybe it was the Tiki Gods) that wanted me to overcome the challenges and keep on liviing and surviving the “tests”.. maybe they just liked me?.. who knows.. whatever.. but I do think they had some good laughs on my behalf! 😂🤣😇

Aloha,

Rey

..would like to show amounts of thanks and best of wishes to Renn Loren for his honesty and untamed force and love for music that moves our souls to the Tiki vibrations of joy and Tropical Sunshine!

The collaboration with Renn, started from around year 2000, definitely let me into the magic of Tropical music. It was a tremendous inspiration and a portal into new dimensions with vibes that further led to two of my albums Another Time and Go For The Light, Bros, released separately for streaming in 2010 as two albums from 2002 and 2003. They were first released as a physical double cd in 2003. 

Hola Aloha Hei is an instrumental tune I composed while goofing around with the Ukuleles in the music shops of Honolulu on this same trip. (Click on the title to listen)