“HEART OVER HYPE”

Elijah Sky (self-produced)

Elijah Sky, 27, a member of the celebrated musical Farden ohana, is stepping out as a solo artist in Hawaii after several years working with a reggae group in California. He wrote all 10 of the songs for his solo project, showing his command of mainstream American reggae.

The ohana of Charles and Annie Farden has been best known through the decades for its contributions to the preservation and perpetuation of Hawaiian and hapa haole music — the contributions of their daughters, Emma Farden Sharpe and Irmgard Farden Aluli most of all.

That said, Fardens have played other genres as well: The couple’s oldest sons, Carl and Bernard, played American big band music as members of the Farden-Poepoe Orchestra, while Irmgard and another sister, Diana Farden Fernandes, were founding members of the Annie Kerr Trio — a 1930s equivalent of Na Leo Pilimehana. Diana’s son, Allan Fernandes, played French horn with the New York Symphony. Irmgard’s daughter Mihana Souza is a Hoku Award-winning jazz singer.

Sky is Irmgard Farden Aluli’s grandson, via father Kimo Aluli; Mihana Souza is his aunt. With that musical lineage, it isn’t surprising to see this member of the Farden ohana making music in Hawaii, and adding a new dimension, as Sky ventures into reggae music.

Sky covers popular reggae topics in compelling and commercial style.

His “For Some Time” is a celebration of the healing power of music: “We live for the music and we life for di riddim” he sings for “Jah people,” while the drum-and-bass rhythm section rumbles hypnotically beneath him.

“Smoking” is pretty much self-explanatory, as Sky and guest vocalist Irie Love extol the benefits that come with “smoking the bad vibes away.”

Another guest, Mahkess, joins Sky in describing the healing power of ocean water in “Ocean Therapy.”

Sky’s lyrics aren’t couched in rastafari terminology, except for the term “I and I” (the rastafari equivalent of “you and I”), but he refers to Jah as a higher power and shares the concepts of love, unity and standing against the corruption of a larger system.

He rebukes wicked politicians in one song, cautions against the dangers of the city in another, and describes himself as a “peaceful warrior” who burns hate “down with peace” on a third.

No mainstream reggae album is complete without at least one love/sex song.

Sky covers that first with a romantic song titled “Smooth” and then with the aptly-titled final song, “Everything Love.”

Sky celebrates the release of “Heart Over Hype” at 8 p.m. today at Hawaiian Brian’s, w ith special guests Irie Love, Mike Love and slack key master Kawika Kahiapo. He celebrates at 8 p.m. tomorrow at Surfer (The Bar) at the Turtle Bay Resort, with Irie Love and Mahkess.

Visit elijahsky.com.