“For Our Friends: A Disaster Compilation” various artists (Aloha Got Soul)
Entertainers have been making music to raise money for charity ever since the mid-1980s when Bob Geldof created Band-Aid and recorded “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” to raise money for famine victims in Ethiopia, and Harry Belafonte followed suit with USA for Africa and “We Are the World,” and Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young organized the first Farm Aid benefit to support farmers facing foreclosure in the United States.
Jump forward to 2025: Hawaii resident and record label executive Roger Bong, founder and owner of Aloha Got Soul, has responded to the Los Angeles megafires by enlisting more than 50 recording artists for a new fundraising project, “For Our Friends: A Disaster Relief Compilation.” Bong says 100% of the proceeds will go to verified groups that provide support for fire survivors.
Alika Lyman, mononymous vocalist Aolani, and saxophonist Jason Gay, are the most recognizable participants. For some of the others, this charity project opens the door to large audiences.
Aolani’s contribution, “From Ashes To Roses,” is a beautiful inspirational anthem perfect for the people of Los Angeles — and for the people of Lahaina, Gaza, Ukraine and wherever else people are living through great destruction. Aura Bora’s buzz saw rocker, “I Wanna,” speaks for anyone wronged by an ex (“I wanna write a song you hate,” she sings). Other selections represent genres ranging from sweet mainstream pop and contemporary reggae to angry urban rap, beautiful keyboard instrumentals and soothing ambient tracks. The vocalists perform in English, Hawaiian and Japanese.
In short, almost anyone who buys a copy to support the L.A. fire survivors will find at least a few songs they’ll embrace in this vast collection.
And here’s a shoutout to Hawaii-based illustrator Riley Nakamura for designing the cover art.
Bong is keeping production costs minimal by releasing the collection as a digital-only release. The 50-plus track project costs $10 and is available exclusively on Bandcamp at alohagotsoul.bandcamp.com/album/for-our-friends-a-disaster-relief-compilation.
For more information on the project, visit alohagotsoul.bandcamp.com.
