The kid once known across social media as "Ipu Baby" just had a very big Waikiki moment. Nine-year-old Jeaven Maeva of Kunia landed a surprise meet-and-greet with world-renowned vocal coach Cheryl Porter at the Royal Hawaiian, where he sang with Porter alongside his brothers while the whole thing was filmed and posted online. The fresh clip has pushed Jeaven back into the spotlight, years after he first caught attention as a toddler.
According to his family, they tagged Porter on Instagram, and she later shared video of their encounter. The footage shows Porter singing with the youngsters at the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki, turning a casual visit into an on-the-spot vocal session. The meetup follows a 2018 Facebook clip that first made Jeaven an internet favorite when he banged an ipu as a toddler, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
"I need to meet these babies," Jeaven's mother said Porter told them, according to Hawaii News Now. She said Porter did not just breeze through a quick hello. Instead, the coach spent time with the children, taking photos and videos and offering encouragement to the keiki during the Waikiki visit.
Porter’s Online Reach And What It Means
Porter has built a wide online following as both a vocal coach and performer, regularly posting lessons and performance clips on her YouTube channel. With that kind of reach, even a short video shot in a Waikiki hotel lobby can travel fast and land in front of people far beyond Hawaiʻi. On YouTube, she shares coaching tips and performance excerpts for a global audience, so a quick duet with a local nine year old can easily turn into something much bigger.
Local Roots, Hālau Practice And Merrie Monarch Hopes
Jeaven's love for performing comes with deep local roots. His mother Moana sings with the band Ahe Malie, and his father Julian performs as a fire-knife dancer, with both parents involved in hālau Ke Kai O Kahiki. The family says Jeaven hopes to one day sing professionally, compete at the Merrie Monarch Festival and learn fire-knife dancing himself. The Merrie Monarch Festival is the islands' premier hula competition, a weeklong event that draws hālau from across Hawaiʻi and beyond; more about the festival is on the official Merrie Monarch site.
For Jeaven and the hālau families who bring keiki to early practice, the encounter with Porter is a reminder that small performances can open unexpected doors. For now, his approach is simple: take it step by step, song by song, and see where the next clip leads.
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