IRIE

Azato

When We Gonna Start? feat. Jonah Jaxon

Photography by: Aisea Taimani

Jonah Jaxon and Azato run non-profits with at-risk teens focusing on the arts, life skills, and personal/spiritual development in the inner-city community of Kalihi/Honolulu, Hawai’i.

I have had the honor of working with Inner-city teenagers over the last 25-plus years in both San Diego and Honolulu. One of the hardest parts of this work is having to bury many of our young friends. I have lost over 40 students to the streets, and I love each of them as if they were my own.

This song not only addresses gang violence plaguing many of our city streets but also addresses each of our hearts. I pray that we all can love each other and everyone we encounter more deeply. This is a song of hope and also a song to honor those who were taken much too soon!