Category: Music

Earth, Wind & Fire, the legendary pop, soul, blues and rock band, will return to Hawaii for a concert at 8 p.m. June 13 at the Blaisdell Arena.

Because Hawaii residents are still struggling in the aftermath of the recent Kona low rains that flooded numerous sectors across the state, “Rick  Bartalini Presents,” the concert’s presenter, is generously donating a portion of the proceeds to the relief efforts for the storm that left many citizens homeless.

Hawaii residents will get first dibs for tickets, which go on sale online at 10 a.m. Friday (April 3) at www.tickertmaster.com  and continue till 9 a.m. April 10. Prices have not yet been announced and there is an eight-ticket limit to buy early. Mainland sales will begin at 10 a.m. April 10. The Blaisdell box office opens at 10 a.m. April 10.

The group has a special history with Hawaii, where it has staged numerous concerts dating back to 1975. One of the memorable performances has been inside Diamond Head Crater. Over the decades, the band has performed in numerous concerts at Blaisdell, the last time on Dec.10, 2022, when its sold-out tally was 7,200 fans.

Earth, Wind & Fire has been a prolific group, with numerous chartbusters including “September,” “Reasons” and “Let’s Groove.”

Hula laurels for Robert

Following his two concerts at Paliku Theatre, singer-kumu hula Robert Cazimero flew to Okinawa to stage a show for a teacher he met many years ago. It was a quickie in-and-out event, and he was off to Tokyo for a belated birthday party “because we couldn’t celebrate last year”…

And Cazimero must be doing something right. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs honored him for his lifetime service and enduring legacy, citing his devotion and support for sharing hula and mele on the global stage. “His work has elevated hula and grounded us in place, memory and identity,” the office said in a resolution…

Shows around town…

Multi-talented singer Sandy Tsukiyama will be featured in “Brasileiro: The Music of Sergio Mendes,” in two shows hosted by DeShannon Higa, at 5 and 8 p.m. April 18 at Kapono’s at The Lounge in Hawaii Kai. The mood will be Brazilian soul, with its infectious rhythms and grooves incorporating jazz and pop. Tickets: http:kaponosatthelounge.com/…

You can spend Easter Sunday on the waterfront, when the trio Maunalua, led by Bobby Moderow Jr., presents two shows at Kapono’s at the Lounge at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday April 5. The group is known for its traditional Hawaiian music with rich vocal harmonies and cherished slack key guitar vibes. It should be told that Maunalua owes its name to the bay in East Oahu fronting the club and other merchants and residents in Hawaii Kai and the Portlock area…

Gail Mack, Lance Luke, Keith Hiraoka and Bobby Nishida will concertize in an Easter concert from 5 to  8 p.m. Easter Sunday (April 5) at Mango Street Grill in Wahiawa. For reservations, call Daryl at (808) 627-5451. And if you so desire, pre-order a prime rib meal at the same time…

And that’s Show Biz…

Robert Cazimero’s “A Ko‘olau Au,” his two-show spectacle Sunday (March 22) at Paliku Theatre at the Windward Community College, was a luminous, ambitious endeavor saluting the Ko‘olaus and the Windward side.

On a rainy, wet day, this was a sunny diversion, jam-packed with Hawaiian artistry and mele.

Cazimero, kumu hula of hālau Nā Kamalei O Lililehua, assembled his dancing and singing gents performing hula kahiko and  ‘auana.  The afternoon resembled his pair of shows last October at the Leeward Community College Theatre, when Cazimero performed a matinee and evening concerts in a fund-raiser that celebrated the hula hālau’s victory in last year’s Merrie Monarch Festival.

Because I didn’t request a playlist of performance numbers at Paliku, this reflection won’t provide specific titles of oli or mele in the impressive and innovative program with a cache of superb guest artists.

The m.o. (modus operandi) seemed to be, if kumu asks, you come without hesitation. How else could he assemble such first-class guests with repertoire to share?

Then again, Cazimero’s degree of excellence is well known and his peers share that kind of allure, so they participate as honorable guests. Take the four guest kumu hula: Vicky Holt Takamine of  Hālau Pua Ali‘i (aka Pa‘i Foundation), Mapuna di Silva of Hālau Mohala ‘Ilima, Kuana Torres Kahele of Hālau Māluakiʻiwailehua (and allied with four other groups), and Michael Lanakila Casupang of Mid Pacific Institute’s student hālau Pupukahi I Ke Alo Na Pua.

Casupang’s MPI dancers are unique, comprised of students in grades 9 through 12, and rendering a stunning style, combining kahiko with modern style often  with balletic moves.

The show’s most popular guest had to be Jerry Santos of Olomana, performing with his usual ally, Kamuela Kimokeo. And the most popular tune clearly had to be Santos’s “E Kuu Home O Kahalu‘u,” with its taunting, prolong slack key guitar intro. The twosome also shared another Olomana classic, “E Kuu Sweet Lei Po‘ina Ole” with finesse. Note to Uncle Jerry, who’s been donning a papale in shows:  Better to take off, bro, ‘cuz  cannot see your face ‘neath the shadow.

As a hana hou or sorts, veteran hula soloist  Kanoe Kaumeheiwa Miller – who performed in Cazimero’s October Leeward shows – returned for a quick dance. And this factoid will follow her through life: she is the only wahine who is officially one of the “boys” of Nā Kamalei, because of a long-time friendship with kumu. Besides, she’s great – she used to be the solo hula artist at the Halekulani Hotel, after all.

And the Royal Hawaiian Dancers, hula soloists back in the day when the Brothers Cazimero made appearances at the hotel, so they’re part of the Cazimero history, and Sky Perkins Gora still hulas regularly with RC at his Chef Chai’s performances. And if you’re a Chai’s patron, you’d recognize Keola “Bully” Makaiau, too, in all the ensemble numbers. And if you’ve noticed, a few new, young lads are in the Nā Kamalei line-up  and the elder dancer participation are fewer and fewer in these rigorous outings.

Nā Kamalei troupers continue to impress, with stunning group hula, and always clad in terrific costumes, from aloha shirts to malos. For a kahiko dance, the gents had unique all-black shirts and pants, with black (or very dark brown) kukui nut lei.  And some of the guys also performed on ipu, which they mastered while studying hula. Kudos for the fashion show, gents.

The house  band was Bob’s Boys, hand-picked musician allies of Cazimero, featuring his Kamehameha Schools best-buddy, Kaipo Hale, plus Richard and Keola. Sorry guys, I still don’t know your last names. But all provide solid support and it’s likely you’re gonna be Cazimero’s regular band.

The Wāhea Foundation sponsored these shows, as they did for the Leeward outings…

And that’s Show Biz…