Artist Spotlight: Kaipora
by Alyssa Rodriguez
"We first met in band class in middle school," stated Kevin Rodriguez, one member of the genre-bending electronic group duo Kaipora. "We started making electronic music together many years after attending many festivals in our RV. Those experiences inspired us to create our band."
Ronnie and Kevin of Kaipora
Kaipora is a combination of two dudes, bass/percussive producer Ronnie Holguin and instrumentalist/vocalist Kevin Rodriguez. The performance is a unique blend of sounds, instruments, styles, and other artists. Kevin's alternative hip-hop style vocals and Ronnie's live bass-heavy orchestration engulf the audience in a complex psychedelic experience.
They began playing shows in and around San Diego several years ago after parking the RV indefinitely in San Diego, California. As time has ticked by, the duo has not only grown stronger but more popular, as proven by their extensive history of festivals and shows:
Lightning in a Bottle 2019 & 2022 (Bakersfield, CA); Moonlight Mirage 2022 (Mojave, CA); New Years Party 2021-2022 (Las Vegas, NV); One Love Festival 2021 (Arizona); Please Don't Trip Festival 2020 & 2021 (Beaver, UT); Digital Burning Man 2020; Same Same but Different 2020 (Jamul Ranch); Duck Duck Roar Festival 2020 & 2021(Julian, CA) and Lucidity Festival 2019, to name a few.
Recently, the group opened for the well-recognized Chicago native Whethan at the Waterfront After Party event held at Music Box in downtown San Diego. They are playing next at the Envision Festival in Costa Rica at the end of February.
You can find a fun mix of music videos on their YouTube channel highlighting their trippy funky minds. A personal favorite of mine is 6 AM Freestyle featuring rapper and friend Dominico Andretti. Kaipora’s latest release is called Drip. It's the first single on their upcoming album, "Who's Who," Set to release in the New Year.
When asked what the motivation is behind creating music, the duo responded "We just focus on having fun with it and jamming out, just like we did back in band class all those years ago."
Check them out on the streaming platform of your choice! (Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, etc.)
