(BIVN) – Award-winning musicians took to the studio recently, in support of a locally-driven effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.

This media release details the new single that was produced as a part of the “Our Kuleana” effort:

Multiple award-winning artists as well as up and coming musicians from Hawaiʻi Island have come together as the Alohaland Collaborative and released “Our Kuleana,” rallying alongside the community to stop the spread of COVID-19. “As the opening kāhea states, ‘No kākou ke kuleana!’ It’s our responsibility and together we can do this,” said Kainani Kahaunaele, vocalist on the project and five-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winner.

The “Our Kuleana” movement started three weeks ago as Big Island COVID-19 numbers began to spike, galvanizing community to stop the spread of the virus. From thousands of social media posts of individuals taking the #ourkuleana challenge wearing masks, to a growing social media following @ourkuleanahawaii, the movement now has an anthem.

Hilo’s own Brandon Nakano and twelve other Hawaiʻi Island musicians brought their talents together in a matter of days to record the single, “Our Kuleana.” Nakano shared, “The Our Kuleana campaign had just rolled out and composing and recording this song was a way for me to express what I was feeling and be able to help. Our biggest kuleana is to aloha each other!”

Image from video provided by the “Our Kuleana” project of Community First.

Nakano made the call out to the Alohaland Collaborative less than three weeks ago and “Our Kuleana” is already available for download on iTunes and will soon be streaming on Spotify and Pandora.

“The way this recording came together is a prime example of what is at the core of the campaign – community coming together to take responsibility for community,” noted Randy Kurohara of Community First, the Hawaiʻi Island non-profit coordinating the Our Kuleana campaign.

Award winning musician Bruddah Waltah Aipolani shared his simple yet compelling motivation for being a part of the project, “My kupuna and my keiki are the reason why I feel this is my kuleana!”

Image from video provided by the “Our Kuleana” project of Community First.

Kurohara echoed these sentiments, noting that “We all have a kuleana to fulfill in order to stop the spread of the virus – government and health organizations and officials as well as all of us in the community.” For more information on Our Kuleana, visit ourkuleanahawaii.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Our Kuleana is a project of Community First, a 501 (c) 3 that “serves as a neutral forum for the community to come together and as a catalyst for solutions to improve health and lower medical costs on Hawai’i lsland based on the community good,” the news release states. The Our Kuleana effort, showcased on the ourkuleanahawaii.com website, was initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to mobilize Hawaiʻi island residents during critical times of need.