Ooklah The Moc

Ooklah The Moc is a band from Palolo, Oahu, Hawaii, that formed in 1997 playing roots reggae. Through the years and several lineup changes, Ooklah became a strictly roots dub reggae band and reached its present 8-person lineup in 2000.

Name origin
The name comes from a cartoon known as Thundarr The Barbarian, which co-starred a large and powerful leonine humanoid creature named Ookla The Mok.

Band members

 * James "Ras Bird" LaPierre (Vocals)
 * Ryan "Jah Gumby" Murakami (Bass)
 * John Davis (Drums)
 * Asher Philippart (Guitar)
 * Micky Huihui (Vocals)
 * Kali Navales (Vocals)
 * Pokii Seto (Vocals)
 * Robert Daguio (Keys)
 * Mike Cueva (Tenor Sax)
 * Bernard Soriano (Trumpet)

Influences

 * Rastafari
 * Aswad
 * Roots Radics (Early 1980s)
 * Black Slate
 * Lincoln Thompson
 * Wu-Tang Clan (mid-1990s)
 * Steel Pulse
 * Coltrane
 * Black Uhuru
 * Sly & Robbie
 * The Abyssinians
 * Junior Reid