Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo, known professionally as Tia Carrere, was born on 2 January 1967 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is an American singer and actress. After early exposure to music and a brief appearance on Star Search at age 18, she entered the entertainment industry, adopting the stage name Tia Carrere, and transitioned from acting roles to a recording career. Her recording work included performing "Ballroom Blitz" for the 1992 film Wayne's World, followed by songs such as "I Never Even Told You" for the 1993 soundtrack Batman contre le fantôme masqué. In 1993 she released her first studio album, Dream, on the Reprise label; the album earned a platinum certification in the Philippines. Tia Carrere’s second album, Hawaiiana, appeared in 2007 and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Hawaiian Music Album category. Throughout her career she collaborated with notable producers and toured internationally. Her work has received recognition from the MTV Movie Awards and the ShoWest Award. Tia Carrere’s discography, while modest in scope, reflects a presence in early-1990s pop music followed by a sustained contribution to Hawaiian music from the mid-2000s onward.
