Kaau Crater Boys were a

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

an Contemporary musical duo composed of Ernie Cruz Jr. (vocals, guitar, bass), Troy Fernandez (

ukulele The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...

, vocals). They recorded and released four popular Hawaiian Contemporary albums along with a "best of" compilation: *''Tropical Hawaiian Day'' (1991) *''Valley Style'' (1993) *''On Fire'' (1995) *''Making Waves'' (1996) *''The Best of Kaau Crater Boys'' (1998) Their work garnered them three Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards (Nā Hōkū Hanohano means "The Distinguished/Glorious Stars", Hawaii's version of the Grammy Awards) from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts.

History

The Kaau Crater Boys were formed in the early 1990s by Ernie Cruz Jr. (the son of Ernie Cruz Sr. and brother of Guy and John Cruz who are also local entertainers) and Troy Fernandez. At the behest of Ernie's brother John, Troy asked Ernie if he could be a part of his gig at Moose McGillycuddy's Mud Hole. Ernie was reluctant at first, but because they knew each other's family, Ernie helped Troy out. Their first album, ''Tropical Hawaiian Day'', was released in 1991 and marked the official beginning of Troy and Ernie’s 7-year partnership as one of the most successful groups in contemporary island music. Cruz played bass, acoustic guitar and handled main vocals for the majority of songs they recorded. Fernandez also played bass, contributed to vocals (mainly as a backing vocalist), but was mostly renowned for his musicianship with the ukulele. The creation of the Kaau Crater Boys also coincided with the resurgence in local Hawaiian customs and tradition, as well as promoting the renaissance of Hawaiian culture, especially among the local youth. As part of a collective of artists from the Palolo Housing area of

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

, Cruz and Fernandez earned a steady gig at the Elks Lodge which also opened the door for Troy and Ernie to tour Japan for 6 months. A last minute appearance a few years later at Moose McGillycuddy’s Pub became a regular gig - this time as “E.T.,” “Ernie/Troy” (a play on names after the popular film, ''ET – The Extra-Terrestrial''). The name Ka'au Crater Boys was actually a name that Ernie's brother John came up with years ago, Ernie asked John if he could use the name. Although John was hesitant at first, he allowed them to use the name.

Etymology

The name Kaau Crater Boys refers to Kaau Crater, an extinct volcano above the Palolo Valley of

, near to the Palolo housing community in which Cruz and Fernandez were raised.

References

External links

Hawaii Magazine
(Defective link prior to 1/10)

Troy Fernandez Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaau Crater Boys Musical groups from Hawaii Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners Ukulele players from Hawaii