Kimié Miner
Mentoring musicians from the Hawaiian islands to bring their unique stories to the world.
A descendant of Kānaka Maoli and Portuguese immigrants, Kimié Miner’s connection to Hawaii and its cultures has shaped her worldview. A singer-songwriter and producer who has released five albums, including the Grammy-nominated Hawaiian Lullaby, Miner found her voice through music, overcoming feelings of being marginalized and unheard by crafting songs. She nurtured her songwriting skills at the storied Kamehameha Schools and on tour with Jamaican musician Barrington Levy before launching a career that’s made her beloved throughout the islands.
Today, Miner is building Haku Collective, a vibrant, full-service music management company based in Honolulu. In addition to the usual services, Haku Collective offers emerging and established artists pro bono resources, mentorship, and programs to help them build long-lasting careers and smash through barriers that too often hold underrepresented artists back. The goal: to lift up musicians who tell Hawaii’s stories with authenticity and depth.
Miner’s work—in her own music and through Haku Collective—embodies the Hawaiian concept of piko: literally “naval,” but culturally, the ideal of having a grounding center from which to explore the world that bridges one’s heritage with the possibilities of the future. With programs that inspire healing, self-awareness, and resilience, she’s preparing the next generation of Hawaiian artists to draw on their heritage and also make the form their own.
As an Emerson Collective Fellow, Miner will expand Haku’s MeleCraft Bootcamp, a mentorship program that supports young people through all aspects of the music business, from performance to production. With free programming across the state, the boot camp will nurture young artists between the ages of 14 and 22, giving them business training in the music industry while fostering cultural pride. Through these boot camps, Miner hopes to make Honolulu the next Nashville: a musical hub, known for powerful storytelling, with its own unique and evolving sound.
More about The Emerson Collective Fellowship.
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