Hawaii artist Tavana will release a never-before-seen music video of “Plastic Island” featuring Paul Izak off his fifth full-length album Sway, on Friday, January 15, 2021 at 10 a.m. HST in partnership with environmental non-profits, Surfrider Foundation and Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation’s Plastic Free Hawai‘i program. Tune in to watch the premiere on YouTube and Facebook. A teaser of the official music video can be viewed HERE.
Inspired by former manager Al Smith’s passion for spearheading beach clean-ups, Tavana felt motivated to write a piece highlighting Hawaii’s plastic problem. His goal in writing the song was to unite listeners in the realization of how serious the plastic pollution issue is not only in Hawaii but throughout the world.
“Hawaii sits in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre. We are essentially the North Pacific’s collection area for plastic,” explained Lauren Blickley, Hawaii Regional Manager at Surfrider Foundation. “In the past, our beaches were comprised of natural materials like driftwood and shells. Today, many of these natural materials have been replaced with plastic - a material that is responsible for the large-scale pollution of our ocean and environment.”
Tavana’s vision for “Plastic Island” was to create a stop-motion animated film in which objects are physically moved in small increments and captured one frame at a time. To achieve this, Tavana partnered with Hawaii-based collective Three Tree Creative and multi-dimensional artist Charles-Antoine Vallieres. The organic partnership between all creative parties resulted in a revolutionary music video aimed at bringing awareness to the global issue of plastic pollution.
The stop motion video features unaltered plastic pieces collected from local beaches throughout Hawaii. The films unique visuals provide a gateway for people who wouldn’t initially be connected to plastic pollution to begin to understand the overall scope and scale of the tragic realities resulting from microplastic contamination.
“My hope is that this song and music video will have an influence on companies big and small and encourage them to look into implementing more sustainable items and packaging,” said Tavana. “If we can work together in pushing the world toward a more sustainable way of life, I would be extremely happy about that.”
Tune in to watch the “Plastic Island” official music video premiere via YouTube and Facebook beginning Friday, January 15, 2021, at 10 a.m. HST.
How to Get Involved
Monday, January 18 is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service! Head to your local beach to do a Solo Beach Cleanup! Check out these Solo Beach Cleanup Guidelines from Surfrider Foundation that includes tips and resources for a successful cleanup.
Learn how to make your home ocean-friendly by reading this blog by Surfrider Foundation or check out how to reduce single-use plastics in your life by exploring these tips from Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation Plastic Free Hawai’i program.
Interested in learning more about plastic pollution? Check out Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s Plastic Free Hawai‘i program and Surfrider Foundation’s online resources!
Get involved with an organization that is working to reduce plastic pollution in your community!
Get the Music
Download or stream Sway album including the “Plastic Island” single feat. Paul Izak by Tavana here:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0U5jqo6aQqEwCk8ekQOfXd
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/sway/1526938506
A hard copy of the CD and merchandise can be purchased at ShopTavana.com.
Catch Tavana live at one of his upcoming performances listed below. For more information visit, https://www.tavana808.com.
TAVANA – LIVE
1/23 HB Social Club | Honolulu, HI
1/29 ShoreFyre | Honolulu, HI
1/30 ShoreFyre | Honolulu, HI
1/31 ShoreFyre | Honolulu, HI
