Interview with Pio Marasco (HawaBiza Project)
Date: 21 July 2010
Is there any meaning behind the name Hawabiza Project?
...;-) HawaBiza is Hawaii and Ibiza together. In fact Marasco is in Hawaii and the other part of the project is in Ibiza, Tuccillo. From there HawaBiza .......2 islands connected and very far away @ the same time.
How long have you been producing together?
It's our first production,released on Seamless Rec. it's about one year we were already working together; everything started in a classic way :<< let's do something together, c'mon....>> as in every conversation in between many artist these days; Gretchen Rhodes already had a jam/live performance with Tuccillo in a very improvised way in Firenze-Italy last year and it was amazing....so things started to roll; then I had the pleasure to record different tracks in our studio in Hawaii with Rudy Love ( from Sly and the Family Stone) and one of these was ANIMAL, a song written by Rudy about 30 years ago! Together with Gretchen they modified and came up with a duet right there, live in the studio.
Have you released many tracks/remixes etc?
With HawaBiza Project it's our first production, but we are already working on many different things together.
Where do you get your musical inspiration from?
Hawaii is a very organic place, same as Ibiza. Peaceful and busy @ the same time, it depends where you are on the island. HawaBiza wants to have this kind of element of soul in the sound; inspiration comes from the daily life in these beautiful places, 2 different islands, very magnetic, they are so similar and different in many ways,so far away but connected and I have to say: this project it has been an amazing experience for myself, Tuccillo, Gretchen, Rudy and the all HawaBiza Project.
Do you prefer performing or producing?
Both....it's an expression of who you are. It is a great feeling sharing your moods in the studio with many listeners and djs or behind the decks with people in front of you; there is one main difference: making/producing music is really who you are, sometimes behind the decks you need to please the crowd that came there to listen and dance....still being yourself, but I think in a slightly different way.
Have you any major gigs coming up?
Yes, Tuccilo is a Pacha Ibiza resident + he is always busy; I think by middle of July he will be in Switzerland, then back to Ibiza; I'm is playing in different places in Italy, and on my way back to Hawaii I will stop in LA and SF. I'm also doing a project with Halo from CityDeepMusic....The best will be doing HawaBiza Project live set, with Gretchen Rhodes...!! She is also busy with another project /gigs with Mick Fleetwood (from Fleetwood Mac); Rudy we never know where he is......
In a year’s time where do you hope to be in your career?
We want to make and compose music, this is our first target; with good music and passion, things will come...it seems easy to say, but it's easier then what we all think...:-). We would like to keep the quality going.We believe in it...and I guess this is enough for us!...ALoha and Hasta luego.----HawaBiza