Common Kings

is an American, Hawaiian, and Samoan reggae rock/pop band from Orange County, California. The band's debut album, Lost in Paradise, was nominated for a Grammy Award. Born in the South Pacific and raised in Orange County, California, the members of Common Kings, which consists of 'Jr. King' (Sasualei Maliga) on lead vocals, 'Mata' (Taumata Grey) on guitar, 'Uncle Lui' (Ivan Kirimaua) on bass, and 'Big Rome' (Jerome Taito) on drums, formed the band after forging a bond from a jam session at Ivan's house. Originally from Hawaii with Samoan roots, Sasualei Maliga, who has a three-octave vocal range, met drummer Jerome Taito (from Tonga), bassist Ivan Kirimaua (from Fiji/Kirimaua) and guitarist Taumata Grey (from Samoa) when they were growing up in the Orange County towns of Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, and Irvine, all through a close-knit O.C. Pacific-Islander community. The four met in 2002 during a barbecue at Kirimaua's beachfront house in Newport Beach, California.