Bad Papa is a musical duo from Waikoloa that features Jammin’ Joe Buck and Bob Bojorquez. Their style fuses Hawaiian slack key guitar with contemporary island music and the result is a unique easy listening experience. They have several releases to their credit including their latest Beyond the Surface.
Joe Buck is a multi-talented, blind recording artist, songwriter and performer who is very proud to be kanaka (Native Hawaiian). He is a descendent of the Lyman family from Oahu. Bob Bojorquez has been playing and writing music for over 50 years. He grew up in Southern California, and in the late ‘60s, he was close enough to the Hollywood music scene to be influenced by many of the great artists and performers of that era.
I caught up with them at their Kahilu Theatre concert debut last Friday (May 14) and interviewed them after the show.
How did you guys met and want to start a group?
Joe Buck: I moved here about six years ago, and I had just been dealing with going blind. Bob was my realtor, and my mom noticed his fingernails were extremely long and on your hand your fingers are calloused. She said, “Joe, I think he plays guitar.” I had moved here thinking I was going to be retiring but things changed.
What are your musical backgrounds, and what inspired you to become musicians?
Bob Bojorquez: The guitar has been my main instrument. I started when I was about 12 years old and lucky that my parents played all kinds of music, from classical to Spanish ballads. One day my mom came home and said she got this album for me. It had some funny-looking guys on the cover, the Rolling Stones. She brought me all types of music, and I wanted to learn how to play those songs.
Buck: I started playing trumpet when I was three. My father was a professional San Francisco Bay Area trumpet player and my grandfather was a jazz musician who played with Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby. When I was about 12, I discovered I liked girls and girls like guitar players. So, I got a guitar and started kind of playing around with it, but I didn’t sit down to learn it until I was about 30 when I lost my sight. And that’s when I delved into becoming a full-fledged guitar player. But I also played drums, bass, ukulele, saxophone, and trombone.
Tell me about your new release Beyond the Surface.
Buck: We just finished that last February. We had some demos that we wanted to redo, so we put them on this album along with some new material. It’s our slack key-oriented album. We’ll have a more rock and blues album coming out later this year and then a Latin album. Hopefully have two albums to submit for the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards next year.
Where’s the best place for folks to find your music online?
Bojorquez: It’s available on all major music platforms, but if you want a physical copy of a CD, you’ll need to contact us or come to one of our shows.
Notes & Links
Setlist
Leslie | Slack Blues | Apapani | Walk Down | Waikoloa Home | Paniolo’s Ride | Kama’s Groovr | Sharkey Going Feral | Waterfall | Julie’s Song | Hawaiian Breeze | A Bay | Lava Steamroller | Hula Hips | Hawaiian Funky Blues |
Concert Date: 14/MAY/2021
To catch a show and stay up to date with the Kahilu Theatre’s online platform Kahilu TV and connect with Bad Papa, click on the links below.