Pamela Polland

Since her emergence in the 1960s, Pamela Polland has repeatedly altered her musical approach, allowing her work to evolve across multiple styles. She first gained notice as a member of Gentle Soul alongside Rick Stanley, when the group placed several folk-rock singles on the charts during that decade. In the 1970s the singer/songwriter cut two solo albums for Columbia Records while also leading a jazz quartet based in Maui. By 1999 she had formed the Hawaiian-language duo Makamaka with Claudia Kirchmayr. Over the course of three decades she has contributed vocals or recordings alongside Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Kenny Loggins, John Denver, the Manhattan Transfer, and Taj Mahal. Her original songs have likewise been interpreted by Bobby Bare, Vikki Carr, Helen Reddy, Linda Ronstadt, and Nancy Ames. On the Off the Leash label she released the album Heart of the World, which features guest performances by Loggins and Raitt. Beyond her own singing and songwriting, Polland works as a voice teacher.