Maxine Soakai

Maxine Soakai's lineage comes from a small island located in the south pacific called Tonga. Anyone who has visited Tonga will never forget the unforgettable culture and music they experienced, and this way of life was instilled in Maxine since she was born. Her father and mother came to America in 1970 to earn a higher education at Brigham Young University. Growing up, Maxine’s family was the first Polynesians in her community which provided a lot of unique experiences for her. At the age of five Maxine began singing with her sister at big events, and in front of large audiences. She also had many opportunities to sing and dance with her family, when they would perform at Luau's nursing homes, shelters, and celebrations. These experiences gave her a deep love for performing and music, and she became a natural onstage. She says "our gifts are not given to us for our own self satisfaction, they are given to us to help uplift others." When Maxine was 12 years old she taught herself how to play the piano and began writing her own songs, when she was just 14. At 16, she picked up her first guitar and taught her self how to play guitar. In high school, Maxine had a very close friend who die in a car accident. She had a hard time dealing with her friend’s loss and needed to find a way to cope. She remembered all the good times they had together singing and jamming and she was able to find peace through her music. She began to write all kinds of songs about life. Maxine realized that this is what she wanted to do, she wanted to sing and write music that uplifts and inspires people. Maxine attended Brigham Young University where she was able to study music with others who had the same love for music. While attending Brigham Young University, an investor who had heard her sing gave her the funds to record a Christian album called The Light Of Christ. The album opened up new doors for her with interviews on radio stations, airplay on several local Christian radio stations, and many live performances at a variety of venues. Through this Maxine has also been asked to speak to youth all over. Maxine is currently recording a Pop album and recently finished her first single called, Stand In The Rain, and is in the process of recording more. She definitely has a special gift to reach people with her music. "It’s a special feeling when someone comes up to me and tells me how much they love my music and how it has helped them through life. I will give it everything I have as long as those people are out there.”