Two Oʻahu teenagers have managed to pull off a near-impossible task: wowing Simon Cowell, the famously grumpy judge of 'America’s Got Talent.' Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm, ages 15 and 16, hail from Oʻahu’s North Shore and made their AGT debut in June, performing their original song 'Heartbeat.'
The brothers come from a musically and athletically gifted family. Their father is pro surfer Billy Kemper, their mother is former Lylas vocalist Tahiti Hernandez, and they count Bruno Mars as an uncle.
In an interview with HPR before their next appearance on the show, the brothers said singing has been a lifelong passion. 'We have always sung since we were little,' Nyjah said. 'We first started singing karaoke with our family, our grandma mostly. She was the one who taught us a lot about music, and my mom has helped us through this journey since we were little.'
Zyah recalled the nerves before their audition. 'Once we stepped on stage, there were lots of people cheering for us,' he said. 'It got us super comfortable with the crowd, and then we just kind of had it. And once we started singing, we got pretty comfortable on stage, and the judges really liked us, and we were pretty happy to get all yeses.'
Since appearing on AGT, the brothers have gained new followers, received offers from producers, and seen more opportunities. They draw influence from Hawaiʻi's beaches and lifestyle, and they hope to show the world their self-expression through music. Their next performance airs Aug. 4 on NBC and Peacock.
Source: hawaiipublicradio.org
