By Eric Heinz
On most Friday evenings, live music lovers can catch Bruddah Adrian perform at H.H. Cotton’s, where he delivers his signature blend of calming, yet Rastafarian-fused rhythm on his ukulele for patrons. The Avenida Del Mar regular musician’s riffs immediately stoke memories of being on a Hawai’ian beach, and Bruddah Adrian—a stage name—cultivated his love of the instrument under such conditions.
“An ex-girlfriend who lived on the north shore of Oahu…she gifted me with an ukulele,” Adrian said. “I was a bass player in a band for years and never had any ambitions for playing the ukulele. But this instrument changed my life.”
Adrian said he’s a songwriter by trade and has worked with various reggae influences to perfect his sound. He said his style of music has “flowed better” with the ukulele rather than the bass guitar. Although he does perform some covers to please crowds, most of Bruddah Adrian’s songs are originals with the sole instrument and his tranquil vocals. Occasionally, he adds extra flavor to his songs with pre-recorded keys, bass and drum tracking.
“I really enjoy what I do because it’s local,” Adrian said, who is originally from San Diego. “I’m fortunate to play (and live) here. I lived in Dana Point for the last 15 years and in Hawai’i in my summertime.”
As he continues down this secondary career path, Adrian hopes he can keep up with the increasing workload. He still has a regular day job on top of performing multiple times a week.
“I love doing it, but it’s work now. But I get paid to do something that I love. I hope that some of my originals can connect with people on a larger level.”
Adrian said that he has been playing more venues as he’s promoted himself through social media and by making connections in the area. He said he’d eventually like to ascend to the next echelon of the music industry and play in front of larger crowds.
“Anything you do in life, you’re only going to get better, you’re not going to get worse,” Adrian said. “I had a lot of alone time, and one day this went from a hobby to what I’m doing now. You cross this line (of success) one day, and people let you know it.”
To check out Bruddah Adrian’s music, visit www.bruddahadrianmusic.com/music and find him on Facebook.
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