Kenape’s parents migrated to Aotearoa from Samoa and his family lived in Te Whanganui-a-tara. Kenape grew up within the church environment where at a very young age he discovered a talent and an interest in music through singing, acting, and performing in front of the church. Kenape carried on his musical journey through to secondary school where he composed his first waiata in his second year at Rongotai College.
Later in life, Kenape commenced a music career and for ten years was a lead singer in a band called Tomorrow People. During his time in the band Kenape reached and achieved many milestones personally and professionally. He was able to compose music for the group, toured and was able to perform music he helped to create across the country and abroad. Tomorrow People headlined and played at some of the biggest festivals in Aotearoa including, Rhythm and Vines, Raggamuffin, La De Da, One Love and Homegrown Music Festival to name a few.
Kenape alongside the band were privileged to receive Pacific Music Awards, Maori Music Awards, and an Aotearoa Music Award. The band’s debut album ‘One’ debuted at number one on the New Zealand charts and remained in the charts for over a year and was placed #8 in the top 40 albums in Aotearoa in 2012.
After a successful music career with Tomorrow People, Kenape decided to put music on hold so he could focus on spending more time with his wife and daughter. Kenape currently resides in the Far Far North with his whānau and is enjoying a slower, more balanced pace of life.
Kenape is now actively working in the Far Far North touring and practising his Music Therapy and Mentoring programmes for rangatahi through his new service venture ‘My Music Airs’.
Kenape can testify to reading as an important part of helping him in his music creation process specifically in the art of writing music.
Reading helped to increase his vocabulary skills as an artist, and this is vital in being able to convey feelings through the lyrics and music that he has composed.
