“I got really excited when I heard the new Chad Scott record. I’ve been following his work with interest for several years and feel that he is right up front with the new alternative pop. The album is energetic, passionate, humorous and meaningful.

Singer Chad Scott has evolved into a spokesman for the high ideals of the new youth. His message to disenfranchised youth couldn’t be any clearer–“have fun and use your power to help change things”. Shaka Buku’s music is a wild blend of ska, alternative, and pop, a true party album. But Chad takes it further than most, interlacing funk, reggae, jazz and hip-hop elements as well.

He displays a real understanding of the divergent voices and influences underlying modern music. The song “Heart of a Buddha” has a universal message with a “jump out of your seat” type of chorus. It could easily command enough attention to be a radio hit, given the right marketing strategy. Other songs like “Sunday Sunday Monday” also have commercial potential and could follow “Heart of a Buddha” as popular singles. The whole album is so well produced, with lush with cleverly arranged instrumentation, that it sounds like a Major-Label release.

When I heard Chad’s (formerly Shaka Buku) first release “Good Vibrations” a few years ago, I thought “hmm this has potential” and made several suggestions to Chad for further career development. The results have been stunning. I have seen for myself what a hard worker he is and how well he responds to professional direction. The progress he’s made in developing his skills as a professional writer, producer and singer happen but rarely. The new album “Reggae Rock Hop” shows how a viable, creative artist can reach for the brass ring if he has the desire and passion to evolve as it keeps being raised higher and higher. I strongly recommend him as a person who delivers the goods and backs up his promises. .” 

-Platinum producer GEZA X (Black Flag, DK’s, Meredith Brooks) voted a top record producer by Billboard magazine 
Malibu

“Reggae Rock Hop! With a serious infusion of soul pumpin’ funk! Chad Scott delivers a hypnotic coalescent vibe that draws the audience in with an intimate and inviting power ­truly delivering on Chads musical mission: To remove suffering and bring happiness to all people by awakening them to their inherent greatness.

One planet, one people. The single “Heart Of A Buddha” grabs you with a soulful groove and moves you with the powerful lyrics that truly speak to the universal nature of the goodness in every soul on the planet! Not to mention that you can move to the track ­ envision people of all ages and races on all the continents grooving to the intoxicating rhythm.

“I’m Alive” is another example of the unique coalescent vibe that is Chad Scott Music. The track is infused with southern rock harmonica, funk guitar, and reggae beats, powerfully combining to deliver the joy expressed through it’s title and hook ­ “I’m Alive”! Exactly the sentiment the listener can scream along with while driving way over the speed limit! Check out the awesome website: chadscottmusic.com For more intimate details and insight on this killer debut on Empower Records! .”

Mark Gerard is one of the top video directors in the music industry with several Grammy Nominations and credits to his name such as: Smashmouth, Aaliyah, Queen Latifah, Everclear, Coolio, D’Angelo, and many others.
Los Angeles
CA.

Chad Scott, formerly known as Shaka Buku, got his old stage moniker from a Japanese term used by Buddhists, which loosely translates to the goal of his music: “to remove suffering and bring happiness to all people by awakening them to their inherent greatness.”

While such a lofty goal might prove daunting to most, Chad attacks it with a single-minded fervor that can’t help but be at least a little infectious. And his music is similarly catchy. As the title of this his second album (after 2000’s Good Vibrations) indicates, it is a fusion of styles; his major musical influences are stated as being Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, and Led Zeppelin.

Certainly no one will ever fully successfully combine the legendary greatness of these acts into one record, but Reggae Rock Hop takes a bold stab at it. While some of the tunes are fairly straightforward reggae (“Master of My Mind,” “What a Day,” “Wise Man Arise”), it would be a stretch to label some reggae at all (the Barenaked Ladies-like “Sunday Sunday Monday” or the light funk of “Heart of a Buddha”), while most are pop/rock/jazz/funk fusions incorporating reggae elements.

Although I admit that such an amalgam of sounds is not something I gravitate toward, the songwriting is so darn catchy and the music has just enough bite to keep you intrigued…..I think the all-encompassing sound suits the artist’s message of universality.

Basically, if this fusion of genres interests you, then you’ll probably like it; if not, then it might have to grow on you. Reggae Rock Hop is music for the masses in the best sense of the phrase, a buoyant set that succeeds in grabbing your attention ­ a critical step when trying to convey a message. Check it out at chadscottmusic.com..”

-Mark Harris
REGGAE REVIEWS
CA.

Using Reggae Funk Rock to Inspire Greatness

Feb 6, 2011 Beth Borzone

Album Cover For Reggae Rock Hop – shakabuku.com

Ever dream of quitting your day job to become a musician? Chad Scott, now known as Shaka Buku, actually did. Now he hopes his funky tunes will inspire others to live out their dreams, too.

His daring decision to leave a lucrative career to live his dream is captured in the songs on his two albums “Reggae Rock Hop” and the more recent “Feel Different.”

He captures the spirit of his journey in the song “Set Yourself Free” from his latest release “Feel Different.” It’s about setting yourself free from your own self-made prison.

“I don’t believe that there is anything external that really holds us down. It’s really just ourselves,” Scott explained, adding that he believes in “really challenging yourself to expand and experience the most that life has to offer.”

Leaving the 9-5 to Live the Dream

Scott studied business in college, and upon graduating in 1994 became a venture capitalist, raising money for public and private companies. He soon realized, though, that this life wasn’t for him. He was unfulfilled and bored. He knew that he had to make a change. His epiphany came when a friend introduced him to a guitar.

From the second he picked up the guitar, he knew he wanted to dedicate his life to making music.

“It hit me like a hammer on the head,” Scott said, “It just felt really good, artistic, expressive, and that’s who I am.”

Luckily, his years in business provided the finances to make the transition. He moved from Aspen, Colorado to Los Angeles, California in 1997, found a voice coach and a guitar teacher, and then trained intensely for three years. He developed his own sound, which blends Rock, Funk, Reggae, R&B and Pop, and is described on his website as the “Ultimate Feel Good Music.”

His goal now is to use his music to inspire others to reach inside themselves, find their own ultimate joy, and then live it.

“Probably about 80% of my songs are about themes of empowerment,” Scott explained, “The ultimate objective of my music is to be able to tap into something inside of someone and bring out this condition inside of them, bring out this ultimate joy.”

Scott expresses this joy in “I’m Alive,” the opening song on his 2003 CD “Reggae Rock Hop.” Not surprisingly, it was Scott’s own guitar strumming that inspired “I’m Alive.” “I think I was just playing a couple chords and it felt to me like a very alive kind of vibe and those words just kind of came to me and then that triggered more words,” he recalled.

Sharing the Joy

No longer bored and now feeling alive, Scott wants his CD to spread the feeling around: “My objective is to have people listen to it and feel that same thing. It’s contagious. I’ve had several people come back and tell me that they experience that. That’s just confirmation for me that it’s doing it’s job.”

Like other talented musicians, such as Sting and Michael Franti, Scott’s introspective approach to music making is heavily influenced by yoga. He is a yogi and teaches a few yoga classes a week. He loves teaching yoga he says, “because it’s an incredible experience to change people’s lives.” He chose his performing name “Shaka Buku” because it means to “Awaken Greatness from Within.” He performs regularly at The Ideal Hotel for The Red Lotus Society, whose mission is to promote peace through meditation. Some of his performances help them fundraise. And he gives his music away for free to his yoga students.

Some of his students have come back to him with stories about how his songs have helped them through pivotal times in their lives or brought them moments of joy.

One mother, for example, liked his CD so much that she gave it to her daughter to bring to her elementary school class for show and tell. After her presentation, the class voted that they would use the first track of the CD “Feel Different” and play the song “Come Together” during clean up time. Now, they listen to “Come Together” every day as they clean up.

Overcoming the Challenges

Even though Scott is living his dream, it is not without challenges.

Too down to earth for the LA scene, Scott moved in 2005 to San Diego, which he feels “has a more conducive music scene for my type of music.”

Fourteen years since leaving the world of venture capital, he, ironically, finds that one of his biggest challenges is lack of money. “It takes a lot of time to promote and book,” Scott stated, “And without money you can’t hire a team to do it for you. The most frustrating part is that about 99% of people I expose to my music either like it or love it, but at this juncture I don’t have the man power or means to get it to the masses. The Catch-22 is you have to get to build a critical mass of fans for anyone to get interested in putting money behind your project, but without that support it’s extremely difficult.”

To help overcome this challenge Scott is creating an online artist development and discovery platform called www.MusicLaunchPad.com to help musicians like him manage and market their music careers.

Scott remains optimistic, “I’m all about making the impossible possible and this is the fuel I burn on.”

And yes, he’s even transformed that resilient spirit into song.

“Rise Up” on his “Feel Different” CD is all about rising above your challenges:

Rise up

Be strong

It’s a brand new day, put your worries away

Rise up

Be strong

Sing your dreams out loud, it’s your turn right now.

Scott’s second biggest challenge is lack of time. Not surprising, given the number of projects he’s juggling.

He’s produced three albums so far, “Good Vibrations” (2000), “Reggae Rock Hop” (2003) and “Feel Different” (2008). He’s produced two compilation CDs: “Move to Groove,” which is geared to the fitness industry and “Set Yourself Free” for the Christmas season.

Scott created his own promotional event called “Three Waves a Day,” which celebrates surf, yoga, and music, and offers a positive form of entertainment, an alternative to the bar scene. The event offers music and free promotions from yoga studios and health food companies for those who attend. He had three events in 2010, but hopes to increase the number of events to once or twice a month in 2011.

He is planning to launch a smile campaign and hopes to release a video collage of smiles some time this spring. So far he’s collected over 1,000 smiles. “Laughing and smiling can really be medicinal,” Scott said.

He’s also working on a video of his song, “Set Yourself Free.”

While Shaka Buku is not yet a household name and the lack of time and money do pose a challenge, Scott is determined to stay the course.

His determination shows in his song “Sunday Sunday Monday” from his “Reggae Rock Hop” CD.

If you wanna make it, you can’t never, never stop.

I’m making my way to the top, I ain’t never gonna stop.

“The theme is really about never giving up,” Scott said, “You know it’s like you go from Sunday to Monday and Monday to Sunday and you just keep going. I’m really trying to express this notion that if you never give up you will eventually win.”

Review By John Sutton
Best Happy Music.com
10/12/10

Shaka Buku (aka Chad Scott) may not be a house hold name yet, but one listen to the album “Feel Different” may have you asking “where did this guy come from?”  Shaka’s third album  “Feel Different” churns out some of the most catchy, funky ear candy  since Bob Marley or Stevie Wonder first hit the scene.

I first found out about Shaka Buku from a friend who had seen them live in San Diego at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana beach and couldn’t stop raving about this band.  I could see why after one listen in my car.  I was hooked like kid in a candy jar full of red hots,  pina colada jelly bellys and chocolate covered orange slices.  This music is “Diverse” and moves from rock to reggae  from samba to house.   Most notable is the “feel good” timeless melodies and hooks that might as well have been written by Bob Marley or Al Green.  Songs like “You Are Wonderful” is remenicient of Al Green’s “Lets Stay Together” and “Kaya Love Me” with its mix of reggae, country, blues is reminiscent Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved.”

Rare in the day and age of “digital downloads” Chad Scott of Shaka Buku delivers an entire album of hits from top to bottom.  Of course it doesn’t hurt that he took 4 years to make the album and had the help of some top dogs in Los Angeles including producer singer/songwriter JB Eckl (Santana, Ozomatli, War),  producer keyboardist Sebastian Arocha Mortan (Sting, Seal, Counting Crows, Mary J Blige) and Bassist Pancho Tomaselli from the band War.

Shaka Buku’s album is must have for any serious music collector.  The band can also be found on tour supporting a event called “Three Waves A Day” which supports and promotes Surfing Yoga and Music or you can find more feel good music on their home page at http://www.shakabuku.com

Live Performance Review
Longboards Pacific Beach
Sept 26th, 2010
by Kayana Jones

Some times amazing things happen when you just say yes to things you always say no to, like going to a bar on a Sunday night to hear music instead of retreating to a warm and cozy bed that calls your name like a soft patch of clouds.

For me it was September 26th at 9pm when I got a call from a friend who some how convinced me that the greatest up and coming band of today was right here in San Diego and I could sleep all I wanted when I was dead.

Fortunately something roused me out of bed and I was able to experience what I would call enlightenment in a bar, if there ever was such a thing.  My first thought was.. this band “Shaka Buku” is dam good and shouldn’t we be hearing these guys at like House of Blues or 4th & B downtown.  Yet I was later to find out that Lonboard Grill in Pacific Beach has some top notch talent that loves to play here because the crowds show up in droves and get down!

Shaka Buku lit up the crowd with a 6 piece band that made your hair stand on your back with songs like “I’m Alive,” which had the whole crowd singing “I’m Alive, I’m Alive and I Feel So Good Inside.” It was more mantra than a chorus and felt as if singer songwriter Chad Scott had reached into the depths of each person and placed a little sunshine on their soul creating a wave of smiles across the entire venue.

Later on Shaka Buku closed the night with “Stars are in the Sky,” which featured another chorus mantra “Stars are in the Sky and we all share the light” sung over and over, that seemed so appropriately to elevate my life to a quasi form of enlightenment that sent me home and to bed dreaming of the wonders life has to offer when you are open to doing something you always say no to.

Shaka Buku has a few excellent albums out including the latest “Feel Different” and can be seen here in San Diego by checking their calendar at www.ShakaBuku.com. They also offer Free Downloads of some of their best songs on their website.