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Why did Kamalei Kawa'a get eliminated? 'The Voice' Season 25 fans disappointed at Coach John Legend

The coaches thought Kamalei Kawa'a's playoff performance was fantastic, and John Legend was amazed at how much 'spice' 'The Voice' singer added to each song

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA: As 'The Voice's Season 25 Playoffs began on April 22, John Legend and Dan + Shay faced the unpleasant task of reducing their teams from five to three each. Meanwhile, Kamalei Kawa'a sang a wonderful, energetic interpretation of Bob Marley's classic.

John and Maluma assisted Kamalei in building "the arrangement" during his "No Woman, No Cry" practice so that he could establish a stronger connection with the audience. Reba McEntire praised him for conveying "that strength in your music and your singing."

Dan Smyers termed his voice "very comforting," and Chance the Rapper, who was formerly his mentor, said that there were "great improvisational moments."

John believes that by being authentic in each and every performance, Kamalei pays tribute to Bob Marley "in a very beautiful way."

Reacting to his performance, fans took to X to write, "Another awesome performance by #Kamalei and I pray Coach @JohnLegend puts him in the LIVE show on #TheVoice Just beautiful!" Another user chimed in, "Kamalei Kawa'a with his personal take on Bob Marley. Love his voice, so smooth/soothing. His spirit shines thru when he sings. Loved with the quicker lilt came in to give it more energy. Smart. He's a class act."

However, John decided to send Kamalei home because he wanted to bring Bryan Olesen, Nathan Chester, and Zoe Levert to the live performances.

One fan noted, "I wanna say kamalei performance tonight is good and he is going do great things in this genre of music."

On Reddit, upset fans wrote, "So sad Kamalei and Mafe are going home. They would have made up a strong 3 person team for John." Another person chimed in, "I am also sad for both. Zoe should’ve been gonezo."

Who is Kamalei Kawa'a on 'The Voice' Season 25? 

As a native Hawaiian from Maui, Kamalei's daily existence is greatly influenced by the customs and traditions of his home island. At an early age, his mother taught him how to hula. 

Named after the four well-known waterways of Maui, he and his brother formed the band Nā Wai ʻEhā while still in high school. They gave performances in Hawaii, along the West Coast, and in Japan. 

They were nominated for a Grammy in the regional roots category as well. Since launching her solo career in 2021, Kamalei has dropped two singles.

He teaches Hula and Hawaiian Studies by day, and at night he follows his dream of being a musician. Along with his spouse and daughter, Kamalei resides on Hawaiian ancestral lands on Maui. 

Kamalei wants to spread the aloha spirit around the world and raise awareness of Hawaii's gifted artistic community through his voice.

Kamalei Kawa'a got double chair turns on 'The Voice' Season 25 Blind Audition 

A local artist was given encouragement by fellow Maui locals and was selected to go on NBC's 'The Voice'. Kamalei's moving performance of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" wows the judges on the music competition show.

He successfully turned around Chance and Reba's chairs during his blind audition for Season 25 of 'The Voice'. The artist, hailing from Paukūkalo, Hawaii, is 26 years old and has been there for generations with his family.

Kamalei received praise from Coach John for emphasizing his Hawaiian ancestry. Chance, Kamalei's first option for a coach, acknowledged the musician's choice of music.

Who is 'The Voice' Season 25 star Kamalei Kawa'a married to?

On NBC's 'The Voice', Kamalei, a native of Maui, captured viewers with a moving performance during the Knockout round. Following his mesmerizing performances of Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Redemption Song" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for the judges, Kamalei competed against Maddi Jane in the Knockout Round.

As an homage to his wife, Kamalei sang John's song "All of Me" during his performance. During rehearsals, Kamalei remarked, "This song means a lot to me because it was the first song that I sang for my wife." 

"She changed the whole path of my life. If I didn’t meet her 10 years ago, I wouldn’t be here."

The first song he sang for his soul love, who is now his wife, ten years ago was "All of Me." Even though he had played the song numerous times previously, he felt the weight of the occasion.

'The Voice' Season 25 airs on NBC at 8 pm on Mondays and 9 pm on Tuesdays. The episodes will be available on Peacock on demand the next day. The streaming site also includes entire episodes from the show's prior seasons.