Boh Runga
Encyclopedia
Boh Runga is a New Zealand recording artist and was the lead singer and guitar
ist in New Zealand
rock
band Stellar*. She comes from a musical family - both her sisters have been in bands. She is the eldest of three sisters, her youngest sister Bic
has a successful solo career and Pearl Runga has been in several bands in New Zealand.
, the daughter of a Maori ex-serviceman and a Chinese mother who forsook her own singing career in Malaysia to join him in his home country. It wasn't the easiest place to grow up but the Runga household, with Boh leading the way, was bursting to its seams with music.
Boh left Christchurch for Auckland to form Stellar in the late 1990s. After signing with Sony Music, their 1999 debut album ‘Mix’ set New Zealand’s radio waves alight, and Stellar quickly became Sony's biggest selling kiwi band. The acclaim wasn't just multi-platinum sales based, with Stellar securing eight Tui Awards (NZ Grammys) for ‘Mix’ and its 2001 follow up ‘Magic Line’.
After the release of ‘Magic Line’ and the subsequent touring of New Zealand, Australia and Europe, Boh headed to Los Angeles for the first time in 2003 for a period to hone her skills as a songwriter at the invitation of her LA-based music publishers, Chrysalis. She now lives in Los Angeles
. Since 2003, she has been married to Campbell Smith, who is the manager for her sister Bic.
Runga also has her own jewellery line. In 2007, a fortuitous introduction to the gold bullion company NZ Mint led Boh into designing and launching her first jewellery range called ‘Birdland’, based on her love of New Zealand’s native birds
. Both ‘Birdland’ and ‘The Messenger Stories’, her second collection released in late 2008, have been a huge success in New Zealand, and Boh now plans to release the ranges in Australia and North America.
, the album tells tales of love, loss and life. Recorded over six months in the Hollywood studio of producer Marshall Altman
, Right Here has already been warmly received on its recent New Zealand release. The NZ Herald gave the album four stars (of 5), noting “its unashamed blockbuster urges and tunepower make it all the more irresistible” and Real Groove called Right Here “an assured collection of streamlined tunes that’s guaranteed to surf the airwaves. Collaborators on the album include Serj Tankian
(System of a Down
), Greg Laswell
and writing collaborations with Wendy Melvoin
(Prince and the Revolution), Kevin Savigar, Rod Stewart
's songwriter and Shelly Peiken
who wrote Bitch for Meredith Brooks
and also Genie in a Bottle
for Christina Aguilera
.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Stellar*. She comes from a musical family - both her sisters have been in bands. She is the eldest of three sisters, her youngest sister Bic
Bic Runga
Briolette Kah Bic Runga MNZM is a New Zealand pop recording artist whose first solo album, Drive, debuted at number one on the New Zealand RIANZ charts. She has since become one of the highest-selling New Zealand artists in recent history...
has a successful solo career and Pearl Runga has been in several bands in New Zealand.
Biography
Boh grew up in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the daughter of a Maori ex-serviceman and a Chinese mother who forsook her own singing career in Malaysia to join him in his home country. It wasn't the easiest place to grow up but the Runga household, with Boh leading the way, was bursting to its seams with music.
Boh left Christchurch for Auckland to form Stellar in the late 1990s. After signing with Sony Music, their 1999 debut album ‘Mix’ set New Zealand’s radio waves alight, and Stellar quickly became Sony's biggest selling kiwi band. The acclaim wasn't just multi-platinum sales based, with Stellar securing eight Tui Awards (NZ Grammys) for ‘Mix’ and its 2001 follow up ‘Magic Line’.
After the release of ‘Magic Line’ and the subsequent touring of New Zealand, Australia and Europe, Boh headed to Los Angeles for the first time in 2003 for a period to hone her skills as a songwriter at the invitation of her LA-based music publishers, Chrysalis. She now lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Since 2003, she has been married to Campbell Smith, who is the manager for her sister Bic.
Runga also has her own jewellery line. In 2007, a fortuitous introduction to the gold bullion company NZ Mint led Boh into designing and launching her first jewellery range called ‘Birdland’, based on her love of New Zealand’s native birds
Birds of New Zealand
Being an island nation with a history of long isolation and having no land mammals apart from bats, the birds of New Zealand have evolved to include a large number of unique species. Over the 65 million year isolation from any other land mass New Zealand became a land of birds and when Captain...
. Both ‘Birdland’ and ‘The Messenger Stories’, her second collection released in late 2008, have been a huge success in New Zealand, and Boh now plans to release the ranges in Australia and North America.
Solo Career career
Runga’s first solo album, Right Here was released on 14 July 2009. Strongly reflective of her time spent transplanted to a life in Silver Lake, LASilver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...
, the album tells tales of love, loss and life. Recorded over six months in the Hollywood studio of producer Marshall Altman
Marshall Altman
Marshall Noah Altman is a Nashville-based record producer and songwriter who owns the Galt Line studio in Nashville, Tennessee. He was formerly an A&R person for such labels as Capitol Records, Hollywood Records and Columbia Records, as well as the former frontman for the alternative band Farmer...
, Right Here has already been warmly received on its recent New Zealand release. The NZ Herald gave the album four stars (of 5), noting “its unashamed blockbuster urges and tunepower make it all the more irresistible” and Real Groove called Right Here “an assured collection of streamlined tunes that’s guaranteed to surf the airwaves. Collaborators on the album include Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
(System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
), Greg Laswell
Greg Laswell
Greg Laswell is a musician, recording engineer, and producer from San Diego, California. He has released four studio albums: Good Movie in 2003, Through Toledo in 2006, and Three Flights from Alto Nido in 2008, and Take a Bow in 2010, as well as several EPs and special singles...
and writing collaborations with Wendy Melvoin
Wendy Melvoin
Wendy Melvoin is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Prince as part of his backing band The Revolution, and for her collaboration with Lisa Coleman as one half of the duo Wendy & Lisa....
(Prince and the Revolution), Kevin Savigar, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
's songwriter and Shelly Peiken
Shelly Peiken
Shelly Peiken is a multi-platinum Grammy nominated songwriter who is best known for her #1 hits "What a Girl Wants" and "Come on Over Baby ".Shelly and Meredith Brooks earned a Grammy nomination for Brooks's hit song "Bitch"....
who wrote Bitch for Meredith Brooks
Meredith Brooks
Meredith Ann Brooks is an American singer/songwriter and guitarist. She is best known for her 1997 hit song "Bitch", for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award.- Early life :...
and also Genie in a Bottle
Genie in a Bottle
"Genie in a Bottle" is the second single by American pop recording artist, Christina Aguilera, taken from her self-titled debut album. It was co-written by David Frank, Steve Kipner, and Pamela Sheyne, and produced by Frank and Kipner respectively...
for Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
.
Singles
- Tears w/ Carly Binding (2007)
- Starfish Sleeping (2008)
- Evelyn (2009)
- Be Careful (2009)
- Come Together feat.Che Fu (2009)
- Names In The Sand (2009)
- Would You Give Your Heart (2010)
External links
- Stellar* official website
- Evelyn music video released June 2, 2008 on NZ On ScreenNZ On ScreenNZ On Screen is an online showcase of archival New Zealand television and film. The website is fully funded by NZ On Air and provides free worldwide access to NZ-produced television, film and music videos. Content is streamed and the webpages provide authoritative background information.The site...
- Boh Runga official website