Josh Tatofi: Poly Vibes…

On any given weekend in Hawaiʻi, you can feel it before you even see the stage lights: couples dressed nice, aunties posted up by the rail, uncles nodding like they already know what’s coming next. Somebody yells “cheehoo,” somebody else laughs, and then that first note hits—big, warm, straight to the chest. That’s the lane Josh Tatofi has built for himself: island soul with the kind of voice that makes a room go quiet, then sing back.

Josh Tatofi is Honolulu-born, raised on the Windward side in Kāneʻohe, and shaped by a home where music wasn’t a hobby—it was the air everybody breathed. PBS Hawaiʻi has shared that his father is Tivaini “Tiva” Tatofi, a founding member of Kapena, one of the groups that helped define modern local island music. And if you’ve ever been around musicians like that, you know the vibe: the instruments are always out, the uncles are always “just jamming,” and the kid in the corner is quietly learning how to feel a song before they ever learn how to “perform” it.

Josh has talked about how, as a kid, he thought that was normal—like everyone’s dad was a rock star and everyone’s house had music happening all the time. That kind of upbringing doesn’t just give you skills; it gives you instinct. You learn timing by watching the older guys work the room. You learn humility because the best players are usually the most low-key. And you learn that in Hawaiʻi, music isn’t just entertainment—it’s how people hold each other up, how families talk-story without even talking.

PBS Hawaiʻi also notes that Josh later moved with his family to Maui in his early teens, and that he had an early breakthrough moment when friends invited him onstage to sing a Hawaiian-language song—one of those “no be shy, jump up” moments that can change a whole path. From there, it’s been a steady climb built on live performance, local support, and a catalog that leans into what he does best: love songs, island grooves, and big emotion without overdoing it.

If you ask people what separates Josh from the pack, you’ll hear the same words come up again and again: soul, power, and control. It’s not just that he can sing loud—plenty folks can sing loud. It’s that he knows how to bring it down to a whisper and still hold the whole room. He can ride a reggae pocket, then turn around and deliver an R&B-style run that feels like Sunday night cruising, windows down, H-3 lights sliding by.

That vibe has traveled far beyond the islands. A New Zealand sports feature that booked Josh for a major event described him as a Hawaiian-born Tongan singer with a big fan base across the Pacific and noted his touring momentum around the region. And if you’ve been watching the last few years, you’ve probably noticed it too: Josh isn’t just doing “one-off shows” anymore—he’s building a Pacific-wide footprint where island people everywhere recognize the sound and claim it as their own.

One of the biggest signs of that next-level chapter: Josh Tatofi has been publicly associated with EMPIRE, the music company known for partnering with independent artists at scale. An EMPIRE post highlighted a partnership with Josh tied to major moves like his Blue Note Hawaiʻi residency and new releases. And on the release side, Apple Music metadata for his 2025 single “Date Night” lists ROCK WALL / EMPIRE and identifies EMPIRE as the label. In other words: the music is still local at heart, but the machine around it is getting bigger—which usually means more reach, more touring, and more eyes on Hawaiʻi talent.

And speaking of “Date Night”—that title alone tells you Josh understands his audience. His shows aren’t just concerts; they’re a night out. The kind where you bring your significant other, or you bring your crew, or you bring mom and dad because they love the old-school island feeling. Maui Arts & Cultural Center even promoted a “Date Night with Josh Tatofi” show, leaning into that exact energy. That’s branding without being corny: give people a reason to dress up and make it a memory.

For Ninth Island folks—especially the Hawaiʻi crowd in Las Vegas—Josh’s rise hits a little different. Because his sound is the sound of home, but it also fits perfectly in Vegas: big stages, big speakers, big emotion. He’s the type of artist you can book for a packed theater, a festival, or a classy room where people came to feel something real for a couple hours. And when you’re building a community platform like da9thisland.com/, artists like Josh are the heartbeat—proof that island culture doesn’t “stay in one place.” It travels with the people.

What’s also important is how Josh represents that modern island identity: Hawaiʻi-rooted, Pacific-connected, and confident enough to be both. He can honor Hawaiian tradition and still deliver contemporary island R&B that plays on repeat in the car. That balance is hard. Some artists lean so modern they lose the island. Others stay so traditional they don’t grow. Josh sits in that middle lane—respectful, but moving forward.

So if you’re a new listener: start with the tracks that feel like a warm invite. If you’re already a fan: you already know the feeling—when that chorus comes and everybody sings like it’s their own story. Either way, the bigger Josh gets, the more it reflects back on the islands: Hawaiʻi artists can be world-class without changing who they are.

Where to Follow + How to Book (Official)

Social media

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshtatofimusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshtatofimusic/
• YouTube (Official channel): https://www.youtube.com/@JoshTatofiMusic
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/josh_tatofi

Music platforms (artist pages)

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5hlcYSbfgsN5kwxz0v70OJ
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/josh-tatofi/407215501
• YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCdx20XXRZsN_xBd1l0U7n-w