Kaʻau Crater Boys were a Hawaiian Contemporary musical duo composed of Ernie Cruz, Jr. (vocals, guitar, bass), Troy Fernandez (ʻukulele, vocals). They recorded and released four popular Hawaiian Contemporary albums:
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 Artists.
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The Kaʻau 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.
The group was named after the extinct Kaʻau crater in the Palolo section of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi which is near where the duo were raised.
As part of a collective of artists from the Palolo Housing area of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Cruz, and Fernandez still as a loosely based group earned a steady gig at the Elks Lodge which also opened the door for Troy and Ernie to tour Japan for 6 months.
But it wasn't till a last minute gig a few years later at Moose McGillycuddy’s proved the duo still had magic, and the pub became a regular gig - this time as “E.T,” (after the popular film, “ET – The Extra-Terrestrial” and “Ernie/Troy”).
Their first album, “Tropical Hawaiian Day,” released in 1991, marked the official beginning of Troy and Ernie’s 7 year partnership as one of the most successful groups in contemporary island music – Ka’au Crater Boys.
As a duo 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 Kaʻau 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.[1]
The name Kaʻau Crater Boys refers to Kaʻau Crater, an extinct volcano above the Palolo Valley of Oʻahu, near to the Palolo housing community in which Cruz and Fernandez were raised.