Hoku

Hawaiian singing star Don Ho is the father of ten children. One of them is Hoku. She decided to follow her father's musical example, but in her own way. Before her 20th birthday, Hoku had completed a self-titled debut album. One of the tracks, "Another Dumb Blonde," added to the soundtrack from the hit movie, Snow Day. It became a Top Ten video on MTV -- and her first single hit gold. Kind of fitting if you consider the fact that her name, translated into English, means star. Hoku was born in Hawaii in 1981. She got used to singing in front of large audiences by frequently performing on-stage with her famous father. Before reaching her teens, there was already no mistaking her talent. Her lovely voice was always a crowd pleaser, soon she was doing more and more solo numbers, and then doing shows of her own.

After being raised in Hawaii, Hoku left the beautiful island and her family behind to move to California to continue her education. It was there, in the latter part of 1999, that she signed a contract with the Geffen Records label. The next year her self-titled debut album was recorded. Shortly after the release, one of her tunes, "Another Dumb Blonde," hit the Billboard charts. Some of her other songs are "You First Believed," "Just Enough," "What You Need," and "Oxygen." Most critics quickly began comparing her to young stars like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, but Hoku has a style all her own. Some of it probably comes from the fact that she is a practicing Pentecostal Christian and refuses to showcase her performances with some kind of sex kitty act. ~ Charlotte Dillon, Rovi