We are ending the year on a high note here at Flea Market Funk, and well, it has to be with a 45. Big Up alum Roger Bong, one of the forces behind Aloha Got Soul, is getting ready to release his first record from the label of the same name. The Aloha Got Soul label will be specializing in reissues of rare Hawaiian funk, soul, and beyond. They’ve announced their inaugural release, which is a 7-inch by Mike Lundy, featuring two heavyweight funk/soul tunes from his “holy grail” 1980 solo LP, The Rhythm Of Life. Lundy was born and raised in Nu‘unau, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii and his original compositions caught the attention of Herb Ono, the legendary owner of Honolulu’s Sounds Of Hawaii recording studio. The rest is history. However, so much money was spent on production for this record, when it came time to promote it, there was no luchini left to get it to the masses. So, the record went nowhere. This is where Bong and Aloha Got Soul come in. Working with Lundy, they’ve licensed a series of heat from the artist to be reissed on the newly formed label. This double sider, featuring “The Rhythm of Life” and “Tropic Lightening” both showcase the talent of Lundy, virtually unknown outside of the
Hawaiian islands. Light and funky, the forty five is heavy in so many ways. It’s a great insight on what was happening in that scene in 1980’s Hawaii. We couldn’t be happier, and bet that you will feel the same. The formation of this label is a great thing. Unearthing and reissuing funk, soul, and other genres of Hawaii’s music past is not only a passion of Bong’s, he’s doing a great service to music lovers all over the world. So Roger, we salute you. Looking forward to dropping the needle on this one. Keep on keepin’ on people, keep an open mind, and remember there is more music about than the mainstream. Thanks for the support of Flea Market Funk and the music we champion. See you in 2015.

Pre-order the record here.

Read an interview with Mike Lundy here.

Keep Diggin’!