J Boog is a singer who fuses reggae with R&B, hip hop, and rock. He was born in Long Beach, California, but primarily raised in Compton. Of Samoan ancestry (his father was a tribal chief in his neighborhood), Boog's first influence was his sister, who sang and played piano. When she got a book of Bob Marley's classic songs, Boog began singing along and his music career evolved from there. Raised on an eclectic musical diet of classic reggae, West Coast hip hop, vintage R&B, and a dash of hard rock, Boog gravitated to the laid-back attitude. His latest album is Wash House Ting, released last fall.

 

Ha‘iku’s own Eli-Mac (aka Ciara-Camile Roque Velasco) came to fame on the reality/talent-search tv series American Idol. Born in the Philippines, she was a singer/songwriter who also worked at IHOP in Kahului – then placed ninth on “Idol” and truly launched her solo career.  She went on to work in Jamaica with Stephen Marley, producing "Guava Jelly", which received the Hawaii Music Awards' Single of the Year.

 

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