Mana, the new album by Kalia Vandever, takes its name from a Native Hawaiian term for spiritual energy or sacred power. It’s an intentional gesture from an artist who has long possessed the instinct of a shape-shifter.

In addition to trombone, Vandever works with electronics and synthesizers on the album, as well as vocals — a first, inspired in part by their experiences with Haley Heynderickx, Japanese Breakfast and Harry Styles.

Before a mesmerizing solo performance at Solar Myth, Vandever joined Nate Chinen for a conversation about myth and mystique, collaboration and solitude, and what it means to open up in new ways as an improvising artist.

• 00:00 — Intro: Entering the World of Mana
• 05:11 — Interview Begins: Hawaiian Ancestry, Spirituality & Inspiration
• 13:20 — Touring with Harry Styles and Finding a Performance Voice
• 20:21 — Singing, Songwriting & Emotional Honesty on Mana
• 29:07 — International Anthem, Genre and the Evolution of Kalia's Music
• 35:43 — Interview Wrap-Up
• 37:09 — “This I Dig”: Micah Thomas's Lucid & Emily Wilson's The Odyssey
• 42:20 — Producer's Picks: Henry Solomon, Louis Armstrong & Laurent Benedict
• 49:06 — Credits

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