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The Girlas (Kelli Heath, Candy Diaz, & Carly Smith) and Ernie Cruz Jr. all come from very different backgrounds of musical upbringing, but are all, in some way, redefining Contemporary Hawaiian Music - from the ground up. This crew of artists is a diverse, multi-generational representation of the music that is being created in Hawai`i today.
This Hawai`i-based crew of artists have been longtime friends, but it wasn't until September, 2007, when they shared a set at the Save Honolua Coalition fundraiser tour on Maui, that they realized the musical alchemy they shared on stage. In late-January and early-February of 2008, The Girlas, Paula Fuga, and Ernie Cruz Jr. toured California, Oregon, and Washington State.
They have the ability to perform as three separate acts, or fluidly as one act, featuring one, or all three artists as the main act. And with such a wide range of styles and influences between them, the listener is sure to be blown away.
THE GIRLAS (Kelli Heath, Candy Diaz, & Carly Smith) began collaborating to create a genre of music that incorporates all aspects of their individual skills. Kelli is a student of ki ho`alu (slack key) and alternate tuning compositions, while Carly is rooted in bluegrass and country music. Candy grew up with a taste for old torch jazz and indie rock. These three women have created an acoustical blend of folk music that is both original and nostalgic, and with the use of fresh lyrics, timeless melodies, and stacked harmonies, it's no wonder their debut album, Now Or Never, is quickly gaining momentum in Hawai`i.
ERNIE CRUZ JR. recently began gigging as percussionist for The Girlas, but he has been a defining force in the Contemporary Hawaiian genre of music since the early 1980's. His style of singing and strumming is imitated with every new generation of Hawai`i based musicians. From 1990 to 1997, Ernie Cruz Jr. was the lead singer, guitarist, an bass player for the highly successful band, Ka`au Crater Boys, whose music remains in regular rotation on the radio to this day. In 2002 Ernie was the recipient of two prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano awards in the Male Vocalist of the Year and Island Contemporary Album Of The Year in for his solo release, Portraits.
For more information, please see
www.myspace.com/thegirlas or
www.myspace.com/erniecruzjr |
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