Makena

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Hawaiian born and reared, Siena Lee & Toast Tajiri are partners in both music and life. The duo says their mission is "to serve the worldwide community with music goods and services of comfort and joy in order to support people's worthwhile purposes through strengthed spirits of peace, inspiration and love." With that kind of focus, an association with Luna Guitars was inevitable!

Toast, who plays ukulele, bass and piano, traces her musical roots to her childhood. As part of a children's group, she performed Hawaiian music, then graduated to a ukulele band in junior high that played for tourists on cruise ships docked in Hilo Harbor. By high school, Toast had taken up guitar, writing her first song a little later -- around age 19. "It was a very earnest, folk-pop religious song," she says. "Most of my early songs were religious, because my family and I were devout born-again Christians from my earliest years growing up. As I grew into my own spirituality and self-identity, coming out to myself as a lesbian, and growing out of the type of Christianity I was raised in, my songs reflected that."

Siena is a uke player, too. Along with guitar, "a little piano and a little flute." Calling her dad "a closet musician," she says "it's incredible that my first vivid memory with my Dad is him playing the guitar and singing "Seasons in the Sun" to me. It wasn't until one of the songs I had written for a solo project was changed from piano to guitar that I finally gave in to my desire to play."

Calling Luna Guitars' designs and inlays "drop-dead gorgeous and amazing," Siena and Toast tell of their first encounter with the company: "It was at a NAMM show, where Luna was an oasis of relaxing, feminine, yin energy amidst a showroom floor filled with head-banging rock style booths that seemed to have female staff only as eye candy. Then we caught a whisper of incense and followed it to an earthy, sheltered booth. The guitars were gorgeous, the people were kind, and when we were invited to play one of the instruments, it just fit perfectly in our hands. We were completely blown away."

Luna was equally blown away by Makena -- Hawaiian for "abundance." As Luna artists, Siena plays the Henna series Oasis S, and Toast opted for Luna's acoustic/electric Fauna Phoenix inlaid guitar. "It's difficult to choose just one thing [I love about the Phoenix]," says Toast, "because I already love how it feels and how it looks. The spirit that birthed the concept for these instruments is what really gets me and makes me feel honored to partner with it in creating music."

"I agree with Toast," Siena adds. "The instrument feels so sacred to me ... especially sacred. And it transports me to other realms. I feel magic playing it."

Well said, ladies! Makena the CD is now available on DHC Records and provides listeners with a delicious musical experience that ranges from folk rock to classic 70s with a decidedly Hawaiian flavor. The duo has designated a portion of the proceeds from the album to benefit Concerts4Cats, a charity that helps abandoned felines. Join Luna Guitars in supporting these outstanding female musicians and get the full story on Makena at www.makenamusic.com.

"We'd love to have Luna fans check out not just Makena's music, but our podcast, too," the women add. "We have listeners all over the U.S. and the world who'd love to welcome Luna fans to the audience. Check it out at www.GirlMeetsGirlPodcast.com."

Luna is pleased to call MAKENA a Luna Artist.

website: www.makenamusic.com