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About this artist
An award-winning professional surfer and spokesperson for brands like RVCA, Oakley, and Monster Energy Drink, Makua Rothman launched his music career in 2012. Born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii, Rothman overcame challenges like childhood asthma and a body frame supposedly “too big” for surfing, and eventually went on to win the Billabong XXL Big Wave Challenge Award in 2002, as well as the O’Neill World Cup in 2007. All the while, he learned to play the ukulele, studying the instrument with greats like Iz Kamakawiwo'ole and Ledward Kaapana. While training with family friend and professional boxing coach Rob Garcia, Rothman floated the idea of a new career in photography, but Garcia was too big a fan of the surfer’s reggae-pop songs to not suggest giving music a try. Inspired, Rothman released Makanale Road in 2012, an EP that caught the attention of the Hawaiian label Mountain Apple, who signed him a year later. His debut album, Sound Wave, appeared on the label in 2013. ~ David Jeffries