It’s tough to imagine a sour note escaping Tina Malia, whose vocals move weightlessly above sparse acoustic guitar, piano and other mellow accompaniment. Her guiding beliefs are equally optimistic: “When we gather together to sing, dance, pray and remember our connection to life and one another, we are touched by the simple act of love moving through sound,” she says. Though Malia’s music can come across as the effortless product of a clear mind and earthy vibes, it stems from considerable toil. As a sound engineer, Malia produces her own recordings, on which she sings in multiple languages. And she’s traveled far in observance of nature, spirituality and culture, collaborating with musical luminaries along the way. The peace-bringing artist performs at The Altamont Theatre on Saturday, May 28, at 8 p.m. $15. thealtamont.com. Photo courtesy of the artist
Smart bets: Tina Malia

Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.