Kelandy Diaz, known as Kelandy, wrote his latest single, “Mango Tree,” in about a day and a half. He recently returned to the Islands about five months ago, after living on the Mainland and working in Las Vegas.
The idea for the song was born when a friend challenged him to write something with simpler lyrics. He promised to have a song by 10 p.m., which was five hours later, and tried to write “the cheesiest song,” he told Aloha State Daily.
“And then I wrote it,” Diaz said. “And I was like: Yooo! This might be something!”
The single released today, Saturday, March 21.
“Everyone in Hawaiʻi, everyone in the Pacific, knows what a mango tree is,” Diaz said. “It's just that feeling of when we were kids.”
“Mango Tree” was produced by Josh Tatofi, the Grammy-nominated artist who just signed with the independent record label Empire and is currently the artist-in-residence at Blue Note Hawaiʻi.
Diaz, who is from Palau and grew up in Hawaiʻi, blends soul, reggae, pop and rock to create fresh island sounds. He has collaborated with Tatofi and Fiji and shared stages with The Green and Common Kings. He also toured with Tatofi, Rebel Souljahz and Maoli, which showed him how many Polynesian, South Pacific and Hawaiʻi people are living in big cities outside of the Islands, he said.
This single is a throw back to the music he grew up listening to, he added.
“ʻMango Tree’ is something really different than what I've ever released before,” he said. “Everything that I've released has kind of been along the lines of progressive sound, as opposed to the Island reggae that we hear normally or what's on the radio.”
The song focuses on first love.
“And I just kind of reverted back to that feeling of that time — that young, excited love, even before you learn how to kiss,” Diaz said.
“Mango Tree” features drums by Calvin Canha, who was born and raised on Maui and has worked with J Boog, Mike Love, Paula Fuga, Kolohe Kai, Three Plus, Kimié Miner, and more. It features background vocals from Maile, who grew up in Haleʻiwa and is half of the Gospel duo Blake x Maile.
This particular song came together quickly, he said, just like “Party on the Wknd,” which has more than 2.1 million streams on Spotify and was written by Diaz; Glenn Awong (lead singer and songwriter of Maoli), and Evile Lapana Ieriko Jr.
“Honestly, I've never been so happy to release a song, so excited,” Diaz said. “Because I know not only are my people going to love it — my fans now — but I really think that it's going to hit the heartstrings of the Polynesian, the South Pacific community, my fans in New Zealand, Australia, Tonga, Samoa, and also in Micronesia, in Palau.”
Diaz’s father, who lives in Palau now, already approves, he said.
“These are the songs we kind of grew up listening to. ... As soon as it was done, I sent a copy to my dad,” Diaz said. “Not even 10 seconds listening to it, he goes: ʻSon, this is something that we can all listen to down here.”
Find the song on streaming platforms and follow Kelandy on Instagram, Spotify and YouTube. He also shares updates on his website: kelandymusic.com.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
