Jacob Kongaika
Del.icio.us
Aka: Cubworld, Cub, Jake or anything that starts with a J
Hometown: Laie
High School: Kahuku High School 1999/BYU-Hawaii 2006
Age: 27
Musical profession? Singer and songwriter
How did you get into music? My dad sang beautiful oldies (‘50s songs) and Tongan songs, too. Our home always had music playing in it. I remember being in choirs in grade school when living in Tonga. We moved to Hawaii when I was 11, and a whole new musical world opened to me. I heard Nirvana, Silverchair, Oasis, and by the time I was in high school, my musical tastes had branched far from what I grew up with back in Tonga. In high school I was in a show choir (Vocal Motion) that helped me with my confidence in performing in public. I’ve been doing and listening to other people’s music for years, and I think it was fate that at some time all this music would seep out of me in my own form. I remember sitting down in my senior year in college and writing eight songs in two weeks that I stepped back and listened to and thought, that’s pretty cool, I wanna keep doing this. So I did!
How would you describe your music? Singer/songwriter style with influences from Jack Johnson,Dave Mathews,Damien Rice and Chris Martin. Check it out and you’ll hear what I mean.Search me on YouTube and you’ll really get what describes my music. Try to figure this out, but if you’re the type that relies on genre, I’d say urban folk.
Where are some of the most interesting places that music has taken you? Europe was a place I thought I’d never visit until I was old and gray. I released my album last year (2007) and since then I have been to Europe four times to play shows. I got to head out to the East Coast to record my debut album in New York as well - another place I never thought I’d get to check out. As much as I enjoy playing other new places, I’m very excited to play in Hawaii.
What is your most memorable musical moment? Playing my first time at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. This venue is where my music heroes like Jack Johnson, Coldplay, Damien Rice, Dave Matthews and probably most of your favorite bands have played. I got to play this stage three times in the last year. The first time I played on that stage, though, was a dream come true and a real eye-opener. Making and singing my music became a reality and more than just a hobby during that show. I’ll never forget it and, more importantly, I felt it. I also wrote a song about it on my album called Amsterdam.
Can you talk about what you have planned for your tour here in Hawaii in April/May? In a nutshell, as much as we can do in two weeks. Doing local shows in places I grew up, like on the North Shore. A highlight I am looking for is a show at the colleges. Also, while there I’ll be shooting a music video for one of my songs, Wise Words, with local L-Point Productions, other promotional and private shows as well. I’m looking forward to it.
Contact info? www.myspace.com/cubworld
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