She Was a Rock Star. Now She’s Building Green Homes.

For many, Pele Juju is not just a band; it is a core memory of the late ’80s and early ’90s. The Santa Cruz-based all-women world beat group created a tremendous grassroots following, touring with major acts and playing festivals from Los Angeles to Winnipeg. At the center of that sonic storm was Michele Landegger, the lead guitarist whose riffs defined the band’s identity. But the story does not end with the final chord of their final show. Today, Landegger is thriving in a vocation that might surprise the casual listener, but makes perfect sense to those who knew her work ethic. She is the president of Studio Boa, a full-service design and construction company that emphasizes green, natural, and sustainable building practices.

The transition from the stage to the site is not a step down, but a lateral move in the world of craftsmanship. While the band performed, Landegger was also working as a carpenter. She understood the grain of the wood, the weight of the materials, and the precision required to build something that lasts. Now, that precision is applied to accessory dwelling units and sustainable structures. It is a career that honors the same values: respect for nature, attention to detail, and the creation of something functional and beautiful.

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The reaction to this career change has been split. On one side, purists argue that the magic of Pele Juju was tied to the performance, the live energy, and the specific cultural moment. They believe that the artist’s legacy is best preserved in the music itself, not in the drywall of a new home. One commenter noted that the grassroots movement was built on a specific musical energy that cannot be replicated in a construction site. To them, the separation of art and labor is essential to keeping the legacy pure.

On the other side, synthesists see a profound connection between the two disciplines. They argue that the rhythm of a reggae track and the structure of a sustainable home are both expressions of harmony and balance. Someone else argued that Landegger’s move to sustainable building is the ultimate expression of the band’s original ethos of harmony with nature. For them, the hands that built the guitars are now building the future, proving that creativity is not confined to the stage. It extends into how we inhabit the world, how we use resources, and how we leave our mark on the earth.

This debate highlights a broader question about the nature of artistic identity. Is an artist defined by their output, or by their process? For Landegger, the process is the same whether she is plucking a string or hammering a nail. It is a focus on quality, a respect for materials, and a desire to create something that endures. In a world that often demands we choose one lane, Landegger shows that the lanes can merge. The music may have stopped, but the craftsmanship has only just begun. This is a story about reinvention, sustainability, and the enduring power of the human hand.