Making their debut in 1994 with a self-titled album that made them household names in Australia and New Zealand, R&B group Kulcha became one of the most beloved acts of the decade. Four vocalists: Joe Fidow, Richard Matila, Eric Palu and Jay Whitmore, all of Samoan or Māori ancestry, became household names with release of 'Kulcha' - an album that won them two ARIA Awards - Most Popular Australia New Act and Highest Selling Single for ''Shaka Jam''. Spawning four Top 30 singles and earning a Gold certification, Kulcha not only cemented Kulcha's presence as an Australian/NZ success story, but broke down a door for Polynesian representation and success in the 1990s. The group's second album, 'Take Your Time', followed in 1997 - a record that continued to fuse the members' love for groove, soul and vocal harmonies with added charm and charisma.
As touring artists, the group performed with some international greats including Janet Jackson, The Fugees, KCi & Jojo and Boyz II Men. Their culture was never far away; whether it was in wearing lava-lavas in music videos, or in the name itself, Kulcha knew the space they were commanding as Pacific Islanders. Their songs featured on episodes 15 and 38 in Season 1 (1994) of TV series, Heartbreak High with "Shaka Jam", "Spend the Night", "Don't Be Shy" and "Fly Girl"; episode 62 of Season 2 (1995) with "Nasty" and episode 157 of Season 6 (1997) with "Do You Like It?".
Joe Fidow, Richard Matila, Eric Palu, Jay Whitmore
"Don't Be Shy" (#13) 1994 EastWest
"Fly Girl" (#26) 1994 EastWest
"Soul Feeling" (#16) 1995 EastWest
"Everytime You Go Away" (#35) 1995 Warner Music
"Do You Like It?" (#18) 1996 Warner Music
"Always Be" (#25) 1997 EastWest
"Treat Her Like a Lady"1997 EastWest
'Kulcha' (#13) 1994 EastWest
'Take Your Time' (#40) 1997 EastWest
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