This week’s guests on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis are One Right Turn (Imua Garza, former lead singer and founding member of the award-winning band Opihi Pickers; and sisters Tiffa Cruz Garza and Connie Cruz of the band The Girlas).
 Imua first appeared professionally at age 11, when his version of the local song "On Fire" was included on the 1996 release "Hidden Treasures - Ukulele Stylings 2," which featured Hawaii's most promising ‘ukulele players. He also formed the Opihi Pickers about this time, with his brother and cousin. They released their first CD in 1998, and grew to become one of Hawaii's most popular bands.
Imua is also an accomplished singer/songwriter, arranger, producer, and recording engineer. He has appeared on over a dozen CDs (including 7 with the Opihi Pickers), and he has worked on commercials for radio and TV, and on a film soundtrack. In 2008 he produced the release by Hawaii's new reggae band "Rebel Soljahz," and it became the #3 top-selling reggae album in the U.S.
Tiffany Cruz Garza began writing songs at age 8, and began playing guitar when she was 12. With sister Connie Cruz, they recorded and released an album in 2006 with former band "The Girlas," and both sisters have made guest appearances on a number of other albums by musicians in Hawai’i. The sisters are part of talented Cruz family – Ernie Cruz is their father, and Ernie Jr. (Ka’au Crater Boys), Guy, and John are their brothers. All have successful music careers.
One Right Turn is neither Opihi Pickers nor the Girlas, Hawaiian nor Jawaiian – theirs is a contemporary sound, filled with a combination of ballads and more up-tempo songs. Their debut release actually consists of four separate CDs – one (Lean On My Shoulder) by the group as a whole, and the other three as works focusing on each of the members as soloists. (Each recording can be purchased separately, or as a 4 disc box set.)
Please join us Thursday June 11 from 6-8 p.m. HST at the Pakele Lounge in the Ala Moana Hotel (410 Atkinson Dr., Honolulu). It’s free, and free parking is available next door at Ala Moana shopping center. Drinks are available for purchase.
You may also watch live online at: http://www.pakelelive.com/
Those in Japan can watch at: http://www.j-wave.co.jp/
(If you watch online, don’t forget to email the show at pakele @ lava.net to say hi and let us know you’re watching – and from what part of the world!)
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Posted - 06/08/2009 : 11:48:57 PM
