"Music makes you smile. Music makes you believe. Iari IS music." - Wil Rowan, Former Director of the Pacific Art Collective THE RECLAMATION PROJECT The potent musical cocktail brewed up by Iari on his latest EP, The Reclamation Project, endows the lucky listener with the feeling that without a doubt the whole is greater than the sum it’s of ingredients. Built on a sturdy foundation of classics - Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers, and blended with more recent favorites like Gavin DeGraw, Maxwell, and James Morrison – Iari’s mixology yields a concoction that feeds your soul and leaves you craving more. THE ROOTS An award-winning singer-songwriter with deep roots in the San Francisco Bay Area, Iari is a gifted performer, collaborator, teacher, and strong advocate for great music. The stellar mix of composition, production, and vibrant performances on his latest release is a remarkable treat for the ears. This music is fresh yet retro, with strong memorable hooks and deep grooves immersed in funk and soul. Iari’s magical vocals make you smile while guiding you through the journey of the EP’s six wonderful and mesmerizing songs. THE JOURNEY And indeed this is a journey. We connect because we feel and we understand. The Reclamation Project is a deeply personal effort for Iari that started at a very difficult time. The tragic Oakland Ghost Ship fire in 2016 left an immediate personal impression as, sadly, one of the victims was a student of Iari’s. The loss of life was profound. As Iari explains, “When I learned that my former student was one of the kids who didn't make it out after the fire, it really hit me in a way that was unexpected. It made it very real for me and forced me to evaluate my own life through a different lens that was all at once uncomfortable and liberating.” The tragedy happened while Iari was in the midst of ending a lengthy personal relationship. The impact from these emotional events triggered in him the need to refocus his energies and pursue his dream of bringing his music to life. THE RESULT The Reclamation Project is the magnificent result of this voyage. "Musically, this is a return to the kind of music that influenced me the most growing up. It's the music that moves me as a person! Philosophically, it's about learning who you are and what dreams and passions drive you, and embracing those very things. Especially if we go through a period where we feel like we have to deny those things in order to feel acceptance and love, it can feel - once we're on the other side of that - like we're reclaiming parts of ourselves that had been lost."