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Kekoa Tsukiyama was born in Hawaii on the island of Maui into a family with a history of singers and musicians dating back to his great-grandparents. Several of his family members including his grandmother were recording artists. His first vocal performance on a microphone for an audience comprised of many family members happened on a New Year's eve, the eve of his third birthday. At age six, he moved to Oahu and at eight years old he performed his favorite Boys II Men song for his class recital. In middle school, he started performing in a band with friends. In high school, he started writing his own songs and at age twenty in 2007, he started a band he named CitySide.

 

The band was a success and performed at various venues on Oahu such as the Waikiki Shell, Hooters, Five-0 Lounge and on the islands of Kauai, Maui, Molokai and the Big Island. Several of Kekoa’s original compositions, “Come On Pretty Baby”, “Ooh” and “I’ve Tried” became hits on Hawaii radio stations as well as his cover of the Temptations’ “Lady Soul.” He is a notably talented singer, songwriter and musician and his taste in music is multifaceted which is evident in his performances. Growing up, live local music at family gatherings was influential, however, his talent was also influenced by the styles of Boys II Men, Immature and KC & Jojo.

 

In 2013, he moved to the Pacific Northwest to broaden his horizons and held steady gigs in Oregon and Washigton performing as a soloist with the name aoK (his nickname reversed). In 2014, aoK was discovered by Polynesian Underground Entertainment and completed a 16 state tour across the US performing with, and opening up for popular reggae bands. He currently resides in California and performs as a soloist or with the aoK band at venues between Los Angeles and San Diego. His repertoire includes selections from R&B, Reggae, Top 40, Oldies, and Contemporary Hawaiian music as well as his original songs. He also continues to write and record original music.

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