In a music industry cluttered with throw away pop that gets forgotten in mere nanoseconds, rare indeed are artists who go against the grain and stand for music that has lasting value.
And the Katinas are as rare as they come.
With a lifetime of making music as a tight-knit family, this quintet of brothers - without question the premier vocal group in Christian music - have taken the road less traveled with the aptly named Timeless, a carefully chosen collection of classic Christian songs that have informed and inspired them, all updated with modern arrangements and the Katinas' singularly unique melodic and vocal style.
But Timeless - which includes tracks penned by the likes of Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Andrae Crouch, Keith Green, and Randy Stonehill (who wrote the first single, "Shut De Do") - is way more than a tribute to the pioneers of Christian music. For the Katinas, it's a musical timeline that literally traces their faith journeys as individuals, as brothers, and as a band.
"We grew up listening to these artists," says James. "We lived in American Samoa, 2,000 miles south of Hawaii, so the only way we could keep up with what was happening in Christian music at that time was through the cassettes and records our cousins mailed us from the states. That's how we discovered these songs; they're the reason for our love of music."
Choosing the tunes wasn't a walk in the park, though. One might assume that a final lineup with the likes of Green's "Your Love Broke Through" and Crouch's "My Tribute" was easily attained, but the fellas started with more than 100 songs in the hopper. "There are so many great ones in Christian music," Joe notes. "We'd have five to 10 meetings on just one song choice."
"It was a long process, but it was worth it," James adds. "We're excited - we feel that the Christian music lover and audience is ready for a record like this."
And with production handled and overseen by longtime studio vet Brown Bannister, the Katinas assured themselves that Timeless would contain a voice and vision that not only spans the decades but also is filled with power and uncanny consistency despite the disparate material.
"He's probably the most decorated producer in our industry;" says John. "We have experience under our belts too, but what Brown brings to the table in terms of stability and wisdom is priceless. This is the best work we've done so far, and Brown is a big reason why - he's great at making sense out of everything and pulling out the best performances from each of us. And when you have five brothers in a band, often with five different ideas, you need someone to be a sounding board - and Brown was the guy."
"When we put our stamps on these songs, the credit goes to Brown and [coproducer] Dan Needham for keeping the reigns on and still encouraging our creativity," says James. "The result is exactly what we wanted to accomplish - our best record with our most cohesive sound."
In keeping with the Katinas road-less-traveled outlook, one of the first tunes they chose for Timeless isn't actually part of the Christian music canon - "Living Years" by Mike & The Mechanics.
"It's not a blatant Christian song," Joe says. "But it was the first or second one picked - when we decided on the concept for this album, 'Living Years' was an immediate choice." With its well-known lyrical plea for people at odds with each other - especially family members - to forgive and patch up differences before death comes, "Living Years" addresses age-old issues that the Katinas have observed not only in their fans' lives but also in their own.
"As we travel, we're seeing the hurt and pain in peoples' lives that stem from family relationships," Joe continues. "And as we get older, we find ourselves going to more funerals and hearing about more deaths, so we just couldn't do this record without addressing this issue." But "Living Years" speaks even more loudly to the Katinas' relationship with their dad.
"Our dad was a strict disciplinarian when we were growing up; it was a relationship born out of fear," Joe notes. "And when our mom died in 1988, there was a huge vacuum between us and our dad. We know that he has regrets, but we also know he did the best he could. In 1993 restoration and healing began - but it's still not always the easiest thing.
"So it taught all of us - because we're all husbands now - that we need to keep communication open between us and our loved ones as much as we can. We never had that growing up, so we want to make sure our kids and our wives get it from us. Like the song says, 'Say it loud, say it clear,' and do it while you're alive. It's a message we hope that future generations will continue to carry."
Another tune not found in the canon of classic Christian music (because it's a brand new tune the Katinas wrote with coproducer Dan Needham toward the end of the recording process) is "Lifetime."
"We were wanting a more up-tempo track," Jesse explains, "and we also felt like we needed to say something from our own hearts as a response to all these great songs, and 'Lifetime' really reflects the album's concept of spiritual longevity and deep purpose."
And even as the band traced their spiritual journeys during the final song selection process, the experience of recording the tracks showed took things to even deeper levels of realization and breakthrough.
"We first heard many of these songs when we were really young," says youngest brother Jesse, who sings lead along with John. "When you're younger, you get a sense of the melody, but you don't pay as much attention to the lyrics because you're not at a place in your life where you can relate to them as well. So it wasn't until we actually got into the studio to work on our own versions that we really appreciated what the songs were saying lyrically.
For instance, Amy Grant's 'Arms of Love' was really familiar to all of us, but it wasn't until I dove into the lyrics and tried to wring the emotion out of the words and the vocals that I fully appreciated the song. And when you read the lyrics for these songs back to back to back, you understand how powerful they still are."
Joe couldn't agree more: "When you're a kid, the world is awesome. But then you grow up, you go through things, and you can get jaded about life. So recording these songs reminded us how we used to look at life and music, about how much fun it can be, and the love we've shared-but I'm mostly reminded of God's love.
"Through all the good and bad things we've experienced, the challenges, God's love brought us through every single thing."
Samoa-born brothers Sam, Joe, Jesse, John, and James—collectively known as The
Katinas—do nothing less than set the standard for five individuals singing with one unshakeable voice. With a vocal blend honed by siblings singing since birth, The Katinas utilize their synergistic bonds to stretch pop music beyond any of its present borders. The group's artistic vision has always been bold, but never has it all come together the way it has on ROOTS.
ROOTS seamlessly sews together such sleek sounds as classic Motown, urban hip-hop, neosoul, and islands-influenced pop. With the same musical heritage, the brothers maintain a clear artistic vision that gives them a singular voice as natural as their family ties.
"We can honestly say that everything we did on ROOTS was intentional," says Joe, who also plays drums in the group. "In the past we sorted through all the different styles that we like, but with ROOTS we nailed our style with purpose.”
"The album has such a strong concentration on harmonies," explains Jesse. "Even as kids, our dad would only let us play instruments if we could sing while we played.” Adds Sam jokingly, “And that is really hard to do when you're playing the saxophone.”
The Katinas also distinguish themselves from other vocal groups by playing instruments. In the past, the group often worked with producers that doubled as programmers, which took away from their live performance feel, but ROOTS brilliantly celebrates the brothers' change to making live instrumentation an integral part of their recordings.
The Katinas co-produced the album with Bryan Lenox (Michael W. Smith), Kene “Ghost” Bell (tobyMac), Pete Kipley (Mercy Me), and Robert “Aurlem” Marvin (Stacie Orrico). The brothers crafted upbeat tracks like "Freedom" and "Are You Ready" that rev up the rock guitars for an undeniable energy and attitude. Likewise, "Movin'" and "Hey World" marry the live instrumentation with edgy urban programming for a fierce pop assault that conquers the best of both worlds. Yet ROOTS utilizes more than guitar, bass, and drums for its electrifying energy. Tommy Sims lends guest acoustic guitars, keyboards, and vocals to "Faithfully," Sam plays the Clav on "One Moment," and several tracks, such as the angelic "Changed," feature spectacular string arrangements.
Complementing their real sound, The Katinas also address real issues. A prominent example would be the cut "Still In Love." Highlighted by a guest appearance from Amy Grant, the song conveys the power of enduring love, such as the bond the five brothers still feel for their mother who lost her battle with breast cancer on April 21, 1988. "Up to this day, we still write a lot of songs about our mother," says James, who also plays bass. "As we've grown into young men and even fathers, we find ourselves teaching our children everything we
learned from our mom. She's still the inspiration to a lot of the lyrics even 15 years later."
Though born in American Samoa, The Katinas spent much of their youth in the north San Diego suburb of Oceanside where their father served in the Marines at Camp Pendleton. Following the completion of his military tenure, Moses Katina moved the family back to the islands to help the local churches as a music director and eventually a pastor. As a music minister, their father always wanted a band, and one day he saw the potential in the little ones all grabbing at his pant leg. The brothers eventually became the praise and worship
group at their dad's church, and it didn't take long until the greater potential was seen.
"Even back in Oceanside," recalls Sam, who also tackles piano duties, "we would set up our mom's pots and pans and perform for people in the living room. Doing music always felt like our destiny."
As a result of their mother's illness, the family moved to the state of Washington in 1987, which remained the group's home base until 1993. Both in Samoa and Washington, The Katinas released independent albums before signing with Maranatha imprint Arcade Records in 1991 to release their national debut. Relocating to Nashville two years later, The Katinas started working with BeBe Winans and struck a production deal with Arista Records. Though incredible growth came during this period, there were also downtimes in which the group worked day jobs instead of doing music. In 1996, The Katinas started touring again, and they found a new label home with Gotee Records the year after. Their self-titled Gotee debut sold over 125,000 copies, and 2001's DESTINY garnered even more critical acclaim. The group then released the Dove Award nominated live worship album, LIFESTYLE, in 2002.
ROOTS promises to take The Katinas to the top of the pop pinnacle, especially considering how far they've come already. To date, the brothers claim eight Dove Award nominations, including a Dove Award win for their contribution to 1999’s compilation, EXODUS. In addition, The Katinas have landed two ASCAP Awards, and four #1 radio hits. Likewise, they've shared stages with Quincy Jones, Gladys Knight, Kenny Rogers, Michael McDonald, Bill Gaither, Andrae Crouch, and Vince Gill, and appeared on such nationally televised events as the Billy Graham Crusade, CMT's September 11 Memorial, Monday Night Football, and the sports fan's dream, singing at the Garden before a Knicks game.
The Katinas have also become a favorite with concert audiences across the country, averaging nearly 200 performances annually for the past eight years. !They have toured with CeCe Winans, joined Michael W. Smith's 2000 "Christmastime Tour" and have been featured on three of Amy Grant's popular Christmas tours. !In the fall of 2002, The Katinas headlined their first tour, and in late 2003 the group will share their new music with audiences across the country, along with special guest Joy Williams. The Katinas will also be featured on the 2003 "Christmastime Tour" with Michael W. Smith and special guests Point of
Grace.
ROOTS, clearly their best album yet, will usher in a new era for The Katinas, and without question, each member wouldn't want to take these steps with anyone other than this family. "By being brothers and doing so many albums already," says John, "we truly draw from each other's victories and valleys. The lyrics speak to the power of God, but they also speak to the power of love and unity between brothers."
Artists Bios 
