Ho'onu'a translated into English means to "give lavishly". Since the beginning of their musical careers together, Christian Yrizarry and Jared Keo have done just that…they've given it their all. In 1994, both Christian and Jared began their freshman year at the University of San Diego. They were among a small handful of guys on the Football team from Hawaii, and they would get together to just hang out and "jam". It was during these "jam" sessions that they realized their voices blended well together. After three years of just Kanikapila and performing for the other local students that resided in San Diego, their opportunity to record some of their music had come. In 1997 their first single "Surf Session" was released on the T & C Sessions Volume II album, and in 1998 Ho'onu'a put out their very first full-length album, Feel Good Island Music, consisting of 10 original songs. The album featured hit songs like When I Think About You, Island Style Cruizin', Koa Tree, Surf Session, and Feel Good Island Music, all of which reached #1 in Hawaii. Upon graduating from the University of San Diego in May of 1998, the two returned home to Hawaii to promote their new album and continue on with their musical careers. In 2000, they released their second album Have a Good Time. Having co-produced that album, they demonstrated growth in both their musical talents and creativity.