Kimie Miner

Hawaiian-born vocalist Kimie Miner blends bright reggae-tinged compositions with a soulful pop approach. She entered the world in Kailua on O'ahu and later enrolled in college in San Diego, where Jamaican reggae star Barrington Levy heard her work and asked her to support one of his tours. Her first release came in 2009 under the streamlined name Kimie, with the album Distant Traveler. Drawing from India.Arie, Bob Marley, and Amy Winehouse, her songs leaned into pop singer/songwriter territory while retaining clear Hawaiian elements. The next project, the EP To the Sea, appeared in early 2013 and included input from fellow Hawaiians Imua Garza and Irie Love. In 2015 a second album emerged, the self-titled Kimie Miner, which carried a lighter and more overtly pop-driven tone.