Boh Runga (born 14 March 1970) is a New Zealand recording artist and was the lead singer and guitarist in New Zealand rock band Stellar.
Early life
Runga was born on 14 March 1970
and grew up in
Christchurch, New Zealand. She is the daughter of Joseph Te Okoro Runga, a Maori ex-serviceman, and Sophia Tang, a Chinese singer who abandoned her own music career in Malaysia to join Joseph in his home country.
Joseph was a self-taught pianist and died in 2005 from a heart attack.
Runga is of Ngāti Kahungunu descent.
Runga left Christchurch for Auckland to form Stellar in the late 1990s. After signing with Sony Music, Stellar released their 1999 debut album Mix and quickly became Sony's biggest selling New Zealand band as the album went multi-platinum. Stellar also secured eight Tui Awards for Mix and its 2001 follow up Magic Line.
Early career
After the release of 'Magic Line' and the subsequent touring of New Zealand, Australia and Europe, Runga went to Los Angeles in 2003 to hone her skills as a songwriter at the invitation of her LA-based music publishers, Chrysalis. In 2007, a fortuitous introduction to the gold bullion company
NZ Mint led Runga into designing and launching her first jewellery range called 'Birdland', based on her love of New Zealand's native birds.
Due to the success of both 'Birdland' and her second collection, 'The Messenger Stories', Runga now plans to release the jewellery in Australia and North America.
Solo career
Runga's first solo album,
Right Here was released on 14 July 2009. Strongly reflective of her time spent in Silver Lake, LA, the album tells tales of love, loss and life. Recorded over six months in the Hollywood studio of producer
Marshall Altman,
Right Here was warmly received on its recent New Zealand release.
The New Zealand Herald gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, noting "its unashamed blockbuster urges and tunepower make it all the more irresistible" and Real Groove called it "an assured collection of streamlined tunes that's guaranteed to surf the airwaves. Collaborators on the album include
Serj Tankian (System of a Down),
Greg Laswell and writing collaborations with
Wendy Melvoin (Prince and the Revolution),
Shelly Peiken and
Rod Stewart's songwriter Kevin Savigar.
In December 2012, Runga starred in an online video campaign supporting gay marriage, alongside other New Zealand singers Anika Moa and Hollie Smith, as well as Olympian Danyon Loader and former Governor-General Dame Catherine Tizard.
In August 2014, Runga featured with other New Zealand artists on the charity single "Song for Everyone".
Personal life
In 2003, Runga married Campbell Smith, the manager for her sister Bic and chief executive of the
RIANZ. She was living in Los Angeles by 2009.
The singer has since separated from Smith and returned to her home country, where she lives in Kumeū.
Discography
Albums
Singles
|
|
| 2007 | "The Crocodiles" (Boh & Carly Binding) | — | |
| 2008 | "Starfish Sleeping" | — | Right Here |
| "Evelyn" | — |
| 2009 | "Be Careful" | — |
| "Come Together" (Boh Runga & Che Fu) | — | Right Here special bonus edition |
| "Names in the Sand" | — | Right Here |
| 2010 | "Would You Give Your Heart" | — | Right Here special bonus edition |
| 2011 | "Just Talking" (Magik Johnson featuring Boh Runga) | — | |
| 2012 | "Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That)" (Flight of the Conchords) | 1 | |
| "Not Given Lightly" (Various artists) | — | |
| 2013 | "Shadows" (Dick Johnson, Boh Runga & Tiki Taane) | — | |
| 2015 | "Team, Ball, Player, Thing" (#KiwisCureBatten) | 2 | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
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External links
