Jobob Taeleifi

A self-taught multi-instrumentalist JOBOB TAELEIFI picked up the guitar by age 13, later moving onto bass, drums, keyboards and ukulele, and started writing songs, almost as effortlessly, by the time he was a freshman in high school. Jobob’s talent as a musician, vocalist and ability to write catchy, memorable pop songs are born out of his innate sense of rhythm, inherent in the mixed cultural influence of his Samoan/Dutch-Irish background. “Writing music and playing it for people is what I've wanted to do since the first time I touched the guitar. Music is what really drives my life.” At age 18 Jobob has recorded a self-titled debut solo CD Jobob Taeleifi, working with engineer/producer Ebiut Cervantes, featuring all original material (two songs co-written/arranged with Cervantes). From upbeat, driving arrangements to poetic ballads several of Jobob’s songs, including “Let Go” and his “New Generation” anthem, have already been selected for placement in TV.

At an early age Jobob was exposed to a broad range of islander music through the Polynesian music festivals his father produced in the South Bay and Long Beach. Always interested in the different sounds he could make with whatever was at hand Jobob was “constantly getting in trouble whenever my family went to Asian restaurants for drumming on the table with my set of chopsticks.” Learning the basics of how to play musical instruments came very natural to Jobob and facilitated his desire to create his own music. Being open to different musical influences Jobob honed his vocal skills in school choir and musicianship playing bass in a progressive/psychedelic band, “Learning how every instrument works together to come away with a song that’s pleasing to the ear.”

After teaching himself how to play “everyone else’s songs,” he started writing his own. Acquiring a bass guitar, keyboards, and drums Jobob set up a home studio in the garage, writing and recording every chance he could get. And no matter where Jobob is he’s constantly writing music. “When a tune pops into my head, I get out my phone and sing the tune into the phone and have it recorded. Then I try to get to the nearest guitar or piano to figure it out.” Many of his ideas coming to him during his day-to-day activities, music and melodies first, “then the lyrics would find their way in.” Jobob also draws inspiration from such diverse musicians and groups as Phish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pink Floyd, The Flaming Lips, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and Victor Wooten. As he says, “from punk rock to power ballads, all music is influential.”

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