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Friday, December 17, 2010
Hot tickets for cold nights: Willie K, Makaha Sons and more
If there's a Hawaiian music lover on your gift list, you might want to consider tickets to one of the following upcoming shows by a top island act. Local promoters and restaurateurs could use little love, too; four Bay Area showcases for island music have shut down in the past year, so it's good to support those we have left. (The fallen: Tiki Tom's in Oakland, Templebar Tiki Bar & Grill in Berkeley, Sundance Kitchen in San Francisco, and Miyako Kitchen in Union City.) The big-name concerts start tonight and continue through the end of January.
This weekend: Soulful singer, fast-fingered slack-key guitarist and showman Willie K, who recently released his second Christmas album, "Willie Wonderland," plays two holiday shows with his band. The first is at 6 p.m. tonight (Friday, Dec. 17) at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz; tickets are $26, available at Aloha Island Grille. Bay Area contemporary Hawaiian Band Ka Nalu joins him at 6 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 18) t Menlo College Theater in Atherton. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door; click here for a list of ticket outlets.
Dennis Kamakahi appears at Yoshi's in Oakland Jan. 30 with equally renowned Nathan Aweau and Ledward Kaapana.
January jams: The Mākaha Sons, who've had an illustrious career long after the passing of their renowned former bandmate, IZ, make at least two Northern California appearances next month. Currently scheduled are concerts at the Montalvo Arts Center Carriage House in Saratoga Jan. 16 (tickets $30 and $35) and at Harlow's in Sacramento Jan. 18 ($25 in advance, $30 at the door.)
Singer-songwriter John Cruz starts a California tour Jan. 14 in San Diego, with stops in West L.A., Ventura and Felton before alighting in the Bay Area Jan. 20 at Club Fox (formerly the Little Fox) in Redwood City on Jan. 18 ($16 advance, $18 door.) The tour wraps up Jan. 23 in Newcastle; see his Web site for details.
The triple threat of singers, songwriters and slack key guitarists Dennis Kamakahi, Ledward Kaapana and Nathan Aweau play two "Hawaiian Legends" shows at Yoshi's in Oakland, at 5 and 7 p.m. Jan. 30; tickets are $25 and $20, respectively.
| Dec 17 at 09:00 AM
Thursday, December 16, 2010
More memorable mele: Your favorite Hawaiian music, part 2
When I asked readers for their favorite performances of their favorites Hawaiian songs, I quickly realized their playlist deserved at least two posts, starting with yesterday's. Here are five more heartfelt and ear-pleasing song selections from my fellow Hawai'i insiders (click on song titles for MP3 samples):
1. "Kōke'e," performed and written by Dennis Kamakahi.
For reader David Silver of San Leandro, the associations with this song about the upland forest of Kaua'i go back to his first trip to the Garden Isle in 1997, when he listened to Kamakahi's album while touring the island. "I still think his slack key guitar is the most lovely form of Hawaiian music," he comments, adding:
Three years later, I moved to Kaua'i and tried desperately to make it my home ... I was in love with the island. This song, "Kōke'e," is in tribute to the west side of Kaua'i, particularly Waimea and Kōke'e, 4,000 feet above the ocean and overlooking the amazing Waimea Canyon. Well, as hard as I tried, I was unable to make a living on Kaua'i so I moved back to the mainland, Marin County actually.
Over the summer, I was blown away to find this great collection of Hawaiian legends performing at the Marin County Fair and there he was, Reverend Dennis singing the song of my heart, "Kōke'e." The attached video may not be as great a copy of the song as found on Dennis' album, but it is a moment, frozen in time.
2. "Palolo," performed by the Sol Hoopii Trio (now written Sol Ho'opi'i) and composed by Charles E. King (lyrics here.)
A tribute to the lililehua rain of O'ahu's Palolo Valley, the song is the favorite of Laura Cleveland of San Francisco, who writes, "The performance I like the best is on the 78 rpm record of the Sol Ho'opi'i Trio. On that performance are two instances when the voice is cracks just slightly, with perfect timing and timbre." You can hear the trio's version in the video below.
Hear it live: Ho'opi'i, one of the original Hawaiian steel guitarists, died in 1953. But according to his entry on IMDB.com, you can spot him as a band leader or guitarist in seven movies and short films from the 1930s, including "Hawaiian Nights" and "High Tension."
3. "La'ieikawai," performed by Hoku Zuttermeister and written by Loea Frank Kawaikapu'okalani Hewett.
Bill Russell of Concord didn't find choosing a single song an easy task, explaining:
"There are sooooo many of my favorite songs of Hawaiian music out there, that the decision to come up with a single favorite was very difficult. From contemporary artists such has HAPA, Nathan Aweau, Steven Espaniola, Faith Ako, The Makaha Sons, Keali'i Reichel, Amy Hanaiali'i, the list goes on and on. However, the older songs and artists also have a place in my heart from Aunty Genoa Keawe, Marlene Sai, Melveen Leed, Alfred Apaka, Haunani Kahalewai, and so on.
However, since I have to pick one, I would have to pick Hōkū Zuttermeister and La'ieikawai as my all time favorite song (which is attached). My wife and I were at a hula workshop given by Loea Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett in Sacramento. After a long day of hula, the students were sharing different songs and dances from their respective halau. La'ieikawai was one of the hulas done, and we were both smitten by the haunting melody.
A few years later, my wife and I were lucky enough to learn a hula to that song from kumu hula Kale Pawai.We learned the hula that day, and performed it that evening on the Beachwalk in Waikiki. To learn the hula, and perform it, in public, with my wife and my hula sisters, in Waikiki, was an incredible, emotional experience I will never forget.
Hear it live: Zuttermeister performs at theVenue in Honolulu tonight (Dec. 16) and 23, Dec. 21 at Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Reef, and beginning in January, on the first Wednesday of every month at Lo Jax Waikiki.
4. "The Owl's Lullaby," performed by Clyde "Kindy" Sproat and written by Stan Jones.
Kaulana Scalise of Hawi is fortunate enough to have "vivid memories" of singing this folk song with the late "Uncle Kindy," commenting:
Uncle Kindy once shared with me that when you choose a song to sing that someone else has written, you make it your own because you "strain" it through your heart. And when people hear it from you, they will be touched through and through. He was right, many a time I have sung this song, and people have come to me smiling, hugging me, telling me how this song touched their heart. I am humbled and feel joy. I miss Uncle Kindy very much.
5. "Kaleohano," performed by IZ (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole) and written by Louis "Moon" Kauakahi.
In part 1 of readers' "memorable mele," posted yesterday, Mary Gellish of San Francisco nominated the Maunalua rendition of this song. But Geraldine Picazo, also of S.F., is especially fond of the IZ classic (heard in the video below), which brings back memories of a special trip to Hawai'i. She explains:
I first heard this song on my first trip to O'ahu with my immediate family, friends and extended family ... about 15 of us. My husband bought IZ's CD at International Market. At that time, I had never experienced a vacation where the surroundings are so pretty, the locals are so friendly and the beach so beautiful and relaxing. It was a joy to see my children having their greatest time at the beach with their cousins and friends. I will remember that first trip forever....
I picked this song because I recall on my ride home after we arrived from the airport, my hubby put in the CD and when I heard this particular song, I started crying! I missed Hawai'i so much already, as if it were a person dear to me. Sounds silly, but I found a place where my family can get away from our regular lives of Monday to Friday and I wished I didn't have to leave.
Doesn't sound silly at all to me, Geraldine -- and I'm sure many other of the Bay Area's Hawai'i insiders would agree.
Hear it live: As I mentioned in yesterday's post, IZ left this earth 13 years ago, but his former bandmates, including Kauakahi, continue to tour as the MĀkaha Sons. They'll perform a "Makaha Kalikimaka" dinner show ($60) Dec. 22 at the Pagoda Hotel in Honolulu and come to Northern California next month with appearances at the Montalvo Arts Center Carriage House in Saratoga Jan. 16 (tickets $30 and $35) and Harlow's in Sacramento Jan. 18 ($25 in advance, $30 at the door.)
| Dec 16 at 06:40 PM
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Memorable mele: Your favorite Hawaiian music, part 1
Asking readers to share their favorite Hawaiian songs and performances in last Sunday's Hawai'i Insider unleashed a lot of audio and anecdotes -- so much so that I'm dividing their intriguing responses over two days, starting today.
I've included some Youtube videos with full-length performances (not necessarily authorized by the musicians), but you can also click on song titles for links to MP3 samples, or audio-video files where MP3 samples were not available; I've also mentioned upcoming live shows where possible. If you're moved to send in one of your favorites that's not listed here today or tomorrow, feel free to e-mail me at hawaii.insider@gmail.com, and I'll run another roundup later. Mahalo everyone for the musical tips!
In completely random order, here are the first five faves:
1. "He Aloha No O Honolulu," performed by Teresa Bright, composed by Lot Kauwe.
"She has a voice like velvet," writes reader Michael Cordova of San Francisco. "If you don't like this song from the moment you hear it, me thinks you have no soul." Thoughtfully including a video set to the song, Michael also noted, "It's quite a sexual song when translated to English," but you'll never guess that from the images of Honolulu in the video (posted below). Better read the notes with the lyrics on the authoritative Huapala.org Web site.
Hear it live: Bright next performs Dec. 22 at Chai's Island Bistro, Honolulu.
2. "Kaulana Kawaihae," performed by IZ (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole), written by Kailihune Alama Naai (lyrics here.)
This song carries a lot of meaning for reader Angela Hedges of Sunnyvale, who writes:
Staying far from town in a house on the Big Island, my husband and I enjoyed the quiet beauty of a land so ancient in tradition and yet so new in formation. We drove to the island's remote corners with Hawaiian music as our soundtrack and this song's soft melody quickly became my favorite.
Heading to the house one evening we passed Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and on the spot decided to hike out to the flowing lava. We stood for hours in the darkness watching new land formed before our eyes. When I hear this song, the memory of that night comes rushing back and with it a sense of wonder at our tiny place on this vast and ever-changing planet.
Angela also shared her favorite picture from that night, posted below.
Hear it live: Sadly, IZ has been gone for 13 years now, but his former bandmates still perform as the Mākaha Sons. The band's "Mākaha Kalikimaka" show Dec. 22 at the Pagoda Hotel in Honolulu includes a prime rib buffet and hula; tickets are $60 (see the Web site for details.) The group also makes Northern California appearance at the Montalvo Arts Center Carriage House in Saratoga Jan. 16 (tickets $30 and $35) and at Harlow's in Sacramento Jan. 18 ($25 in advance, $30 at the door.)
3. "Ku'u Home O Kahalu'u," by Olomana, composed by Jerry Santos.
O'ahu native Patty Dumphy Benson, now living in St. Louis comments:
Every time I hear that song I think of home on the Windward Side and to this day that song give me the chills (chicken skin) and I always shed some tears. I think of the many times I have seen that song performed and every trip home, I always make sure I go to see Jerry perform. Hearing him do the song live is so special.
Benson couldn't resist also recommending Olomana's "Home," written by Robert Beaumont and Clifford Hopps. "So makes me want to go back home to Hawai'i, "she notes. "Although I live in the Midwest, I still listen to KINE FM via computer and just love listening to all those old Hawaiian songs."
I hear you, Patty. To paraphrase Michael Cordova, if you don't feel nostalgic listening to "Ku'u Home O Kahulu'u," methinks you have no soul.
Hear it live: Santos performs in Honolulu most Friday and Saturday nights with Olomana at the Tapa Bar in Hilton Hawaiian Village and solo Monday nights at Chai's Island Bistro.
4. "Kaleohano," performed by Maunalua and composed by Moon Kauakahi (of the Mākaha Sons.)
Noting that the song was originally performed by IZ and the Mākaha Sons many years ago, Mary Gellish of San Francisco writes, "Maunalua's contemporary version has absolutely beautiful guitar solos." The song "tells of the beauty of Keaukaha" in the Hilo district, she adds, and is found on the group's "Ho'okanaka" CD.
Hear it live: Maunalua can frequently be found at Duke's Canoe Club in Waikiki from 4 to 6 p.m. Fridays.
5. "Guava Jelly," performed by the Ka'au Crater Boys and written by Bob Marley (yes, that Bob Marley.)
"This is my favorite Hawaiian song, because although I was bornon O'ahu, my husband grew up in Jamaica. So this song merges our two backgrounds," explains Carol Tang of El Cerrito. "Plus, it is just a fun song and I have a hard time getting the Ka'au Crater Boys' version out of my head after hearing it!
These days that's considered a Jawaiian song, but given the popularity of the song (and actual guava jelly) popularity in Hawai'i, we'll let it count as Hawaiian music. (Trivia note: Bob's son Stephen Marley produced the 2008 version by Maui's "American Idol" finalist Camile Velasco.)
Hear it live:Ka'au Crater Boys Ernie Cruz Jr. and Troy Fernandez have gone their separate ways. But Fernandez, who recently released the all-instrumental "Hawaiian Style Ukulele 2," teaches 'ukulele and can occasionally be spotted busking on Kalākaua Avenue. Cruz, part of a renowned musical family, often accompanies his cousin, multiple Grammy-nominee Amy Hānaiali'i.
| Dec 15 at 04:42 PM
Monday, December 13, 2010
Iron Chef in the islands: Morimoto Waikiki
"Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto, whose eponymous restaurant in Napa earned three stars from Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer after opening in July, has now set up shop in Waikiki. It'll be interesting to see if Honolulu can support two Japanese celebrity chefs (in addition to all the home-grown honchos): Morimoto's former boss Nobu Matsuhisa opened Nobu Waikiki at the Waikiki Parc hotel in 2007.
Morimoto's dining room is in the new Waikiki Edition, a luxury boutique hotel in a former Ilikai tower. Since San Francisco's Wok Wiz tour leader Shirley Fong-Torres popped into the hotel first (on a press trip, in part to promote the new book "Practicing Aloha,") and she shared her impressions of the pricey digs in yesterday's blog. Today she raves about the equally posh restaurant:
As soon as I checked into the gorgeous Waikiki Edition at 2:15 p.m., I raced to the second floor to have lunch at Morimoto Waikiki. The restaurant was about to end its lunch service in 15 minutes, but the hosts welcomed me graciously.
Shirley Fong-Torres / Special to SFGate
Breakfast: Morimoto Waikiki offers a traditional Japanese repast.
Shirley Fong-Torres / Special to SFGate
Lunch: Morimoto's lobster melt with wasabi fries.
Shirley Fong-Torres / Special to SFGate
Dinner: A toro and hamachi tartare duo started off a recent omakase (chef's choice) menu.
World-famous Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's kitchen team is top-notch and his fan base well deserved. What to eat, what to eat? The menu teased me: Kakuni, a 10-hour pork belly with rice congee? Ramen soup? Sushi and sashimi? The friendly server's suggestion of lobster melt ($17) sounded just right for "off the airplane and poor starving" me. The light miso mayo and Swiss cheese did not distract from the lobster, while tasty sides included home-made pickles, a farm-fresh green salad and wasabi fries.
The dining room is a refreshing pale green, with stunning and dramatic Japanese and Hawaiian decor and a busy, well-stocked bar. Dine in, outdoors, or in more private sections of the dining room. The long sushi bar with several busy sushi chefs awaits me upon my return to O'ahu.
For dinner, my two friends and I chose the omakase dinner, "chef's choice," a nine-course menu that showcases Morimoto Waikiki's top dishes; its $110 price tag rivals other gourmet restaurants' charges of up to $90 for a three-course menu. [Editor's note: The Napa restaurant also charges $110 for the omakase menu.]
Luckily, Morimoto's "signature dish" of toro and hamachi tartare was a part of our omakase experience. The tartare duo was artfully presented on a bamboo tray with a tiny metal paddle and garnishes separating the fish. From the very first course, I knew that Chef Morimoto takes great pride in how his food is presented.
Another favorite item on the seven-dishes-plus-two desserts menu looked simple but was incredible: Chef Morimoto's version of bagna cauda. I wanted bread or pasta after I was finished dipping the vegetables in the heated combination of olive oil, anchovy and garlic.
The dinner continued with hot oil-seared sashimi kampachi with soy and yuzu, foie gras chawan mushi (egg custard) with Hudson Valley duck, and the freshest presentation of nigiri sushi, including a personal favorite of uni (sea urchin roe), more toro and hamachi.
I was in heaven already when the "entree" came, a surf and turf as no other: Wagyu filet, lobster and ginger pork. The "pre-dessert" was panna cotta, soy milk and kuromitsu gelee; the "official" dessert was a kabocha souflee.
I was determined to eat all three meals there during my stay because it just felt right ... and it was! The next morning, I had the exquisite traditional Japanese breakfast ($30), which included grilled miso cod, onsen tamago (I squished the farm-fresh poached egg into my rice, yum), miso soup, tsukemono, fresh poke and more.
After three rich meals, Fong-Torres says she skipped fine dining for a while to visit the low-key restaurants locals love and many visitors seek out: Da Kitchen, Honolulu Burgers and Hank's Hot Dogs.
Morimoto, by the way, shows his knowledge of local food (and offbeat humor) with his interpretation of a loco moco (called a "Loco Moto"): Wagyu beef, sunny side up egg, hayashi gravy and fukujinzuke pickle. But at $18, it's unlikely to create competition for the real thing.
Shirley Fong-Torres / Special to SFGate
The dining room at Morimoto Waikiki, on the second floor of the new Waikiki Edition hotel.
| Dec 13 at 11:30 PM
Waikiki's hippest hotel: A peek at the first Edition
Although Shirley Fong-Torres is widely known for her Wok Wiz tours in San Francisco's Chinatown, she readily admits, "Hawai'i is dear to my heart." Being included in the new "Practicing Aloha" anthology, compiled by Maui chef Mark Ellman and cookbook author Barbara Santos, was especially gratifying to the San Francisco native.
Like many, Fong-Torres finds "great joy in the unique attractions of each island," she says. She just returned from her second visit to O'ahu this year -- a press trip in part to promote "Practicing Aloha" -- and wanted to share first impressions of the hip hotel that recently opened there, the Ian Schrager-Marriott collaboration known as the Waikiki Edition. Here's what she found:
Over the last 25 years, I have watched O'ahu/Waikiki evolve. Hotels, resorts and restaurants bustled and super-sized, while the island's natural history and beach scenes remained constants. Since my last visit to O'ahu in February, the much anticipated Waikiki Edition opened its doors to the delight of discriminating guests and locals.
Shirley Fong-Torres / Special to SFGate
Whimsical decor adds a bright note to the subdued room hues at the Waikiki Edition.
The Waikiki Edition is at Ala Moana Boulevard and Hobron Lane, close to the center of Honolulu, but secluded from the noise of the main drag. A 5-minute stroll in one direction took me to the popular Ala Moana Center; in another direction, to the ever-expanding Royal Hawaiian Center. Not much farther were surfing, beaches, restaurants and more shopping.
Upon check-in at the Waikiki Edition, the welcome team was friendly and professional, making me feel like a special guest from that moment on. I absorbed the beauty around me, from the tropical plants to the designs on the ceilings, walls and furniture, to the eye-popping artwork made of 100 colorful, broken surfboards from famous surfers that hangs over the reception desk.
My king-size room presented a view overlooking the Yacht Harbor and ocean. The room was spacious and quite luxurious, with custom beds offering down comforters and pillows, and a 46-inch LCD HD-TV. Whimsical items such as colorful sarongs, a cute ukulele and seashells hung on walls. An oversized desk and work area (with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet) came in handy to contain the many gifts and souvenirs I find irresistible.
As I've previously reported, the Edition is the first in a new boutique hotel brand conceived by Schrager and Marriott; other planned sites include Istanbul, Barcelona and London, among others. This 353-room Edition is located in the 16-story, former Yacht Harbor tower in the white-winged Ilikai complex (home to the penthouse seen in the opening credits of the new and old "Hawaii Five-O.")
In addition to the down comforters Fong-Torres mentions, beds have Frette linens, windows have teak sliding screens, and bathrooms have Terrazzo countertops, with subdued hues throughout. Room sizes start at 340 square feet plus a terrace, or 390 feet without, featuring city, harbor, pool, ocean and/or mountain views. The hotel includes two pools, each with a bar, plus a dance club (Crazybox), spa, fitness center and restaurant.
The bad news: October's "introductory" rates of $195 a night are long gone (I'm pretty sure Christina Aguilera, who attended the opening, didn't even have to pay that.) City rooms now go for $345 a night, ocean view for $445. Along with its nightlife, those prices are another reason the hotel is attractive to young, well-heeled or celebrity patrons.
The good news: The onsite restaurant operated by "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto, Morimoto Waikiki at Edition, offers a more affordable splurge in a trendy setting. Check back tomorrow for the Wok Wiz's comments on dining there.
Shirley Fong-Torres / Special to SFGate
The ocean and harbor view from one of the rooms in the posh new Waikiki Edition.
| Dec 13 at 07:30 PM
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Free and festive Hawaiian music: Share your favorite mele to win
This time of year, "Mele Kalikimaka" and "Pō La'i E" ("Silent Night"), among other holiday classics, enter the steady rotation of Hawaiian music playing at home and on various portable devices. Thanks to "Kimo's Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas," by SoCal slack-key guitarist Kimo West, I now have a new set of beautiful and inventive instrumentals to toss into the mix (as in his "taro patch"-tuned "Winter Wonderland" in the video below.) And I'm looking forward to hearing Willie K. play tunes from his new holiday CD, "Willie Wonderland," at the Menlo College concert Saturday; his earlier "Willie Kalikimaka" Christmas album is also a staple in our house. (For Willie K's classical take on "O Holy Night," see the excerpt with the Hawai'i Youth Symphony in the video below.)
But I'm also mindful of the year-round gift of Hawaiian music, whether enjoyed here or in the islands. Here's how to enjoy some of it for free:
If you're looking to share that gift with a friend, check out the Web site of one of my favorite falsetto artists, Leokāne Pryor. With every copy of his luminous "Home Malanai" ordered online, you'll receive a free copy of his earlier (and equally pleasing) "Maunahele" CD. (The e-mail alert I received notes that your Paypal order will only show the number of CDs you've paid for, but the bonuses will be included when shipped.) It's hard not to be transported to Maui when Pryor starts serenading Hāna (as in the video of "Hāna nō ka 'Oi" below) and other spots on his island home.
You may also enjoy free music if you win one of three prizes for this week's Sunday Quiz: a copy of this year's top contender for a Hawaiian music Grammy, the engagingly creative collaboration "Amy Hānaiali'i and Slack Key Masters of Hawai'i." The "masters" include Cyril Pahinui, Dennis Kamakahi, Sonny Lim, Chino Montero and Jeff Peterson, who produced the 16-track album (and was also nominated for a Grammy for his solo album, "Maui on My Mind.") If you don't know who Amy Hānaiali'i is, you don't know Hawaiian music -- but you'll want to learn (start by checking out her performance with Kamakahi and Peterson of the poignant "Ka Ipo Lei Manu" in the video below.)
All you have to do to win is e-mail me your favorite Hawaiian song and your favorite recording of it, with a brief explanation of your preference, or a treasured memory of hearing it performed. I'll choose three winners randomly from all those received by the deadline, and post as many responses as possible early next week.
E-mail your response to hawaii.insider@gmail.com by 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 13, Pacific time, and include your street address to be entered in the CD drawing. Prizes will go out on Monday -- just in case you're planning to regift, although I think the album's a keeper. Thanks to the Mountain Apple music label for sending the free CDs to make this holiday giveaway possible.
Even you don't win, I hope you enjoy the music in the videos below. Mahalo for reading (and listening!)
| Dec 11 at 12:00 PM
Friday, December 10, 2010
Hula, slack-key highlight weekend's island holiday happenings
"Would you like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?" sang the Andrews Sisters, and later Leon Redbone and Jimmy Buffett. Well, I'd rather spend it in the Hawaiian Islands -- the various Christmas Islands around the globe include locations off Tasmania, on Cape Breton and in the Indian Ocean, although the Christmas Island that's now part of Kiribati in Pacific Ocean comes closest. But with that geography lesson over, you can find a lot of Hawaiian-style Christmas cheer in Northern California this weekend and the next, along with our usual infusion of island music:
Friday, Dec. 10
- San Francisco: Uncle Charles Kiaha and Auntie Ilima Russell, together known as Moana, teach 'ukulele players of all levels in a workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Aloha Warehouse, 1731 Buchanan St. $15.
Saturday, Dec. 11
- Larkspur: The 11th annual Hawaiian Holiday Craft & Bake Sale to benefit Hula On! Productions includes homemade treats, mini plate lunches and gift items made by members of Hālau Hula Nā Pua O Ka La'akea, who might just break into spontaneous hula. St. Patrick's Parish Center, 409 Magnolia Ave. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission.
- Walnut Creek: Te Mana O Te Ra presents "Te Ora!" ("Let's Celebrate,") a holiday showcase of music and dance from Tahiti at 2:30 and 8 p.m. at Lesher Center for the Arts. $25.
- Mountain View: The "Island Christmas Show" by Keolalaulani Hālau 'Ōlapa O Laka includes an all-you-can-eat "crab feed" dinner, silent auction, raffle gift baskets, vendors and a holiday-themed hula and Tahitian dance show at the IFES Hall, 432 Stierlin Road, Mountain View. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., with dinner (including salad, pasta and crab) at 5:30 and the show at 7 p.m. $45 adults, $35 ages 4 to 10 (younger free.) Call (650) 343-4852 for more information. Proceeds help offset costs for hālau participants in the 2011 Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hawai'i.
- Monterey: Father-son slack-key savants Uncle George and Keoki Kahumoku perform a "Hawaiian Family Holiday" with songs and stories at CSU Monterey Bay's World Theater. $23, $19 seniors and military, $15 students and ages 13 to 17, $10 age 12 and under and CSUMB students.
Sunday, Dec. 12
- Walnut Creek: A matinee of Te Mana O Te Ra's "Te Ora!" reprises at 2:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts. $25.
- Walnut Creek: Berkeley-bred slack-key guitarist Patrick Landeza and his 'uke-playing Honolulu pal Herb Ohta Jr. perform a Hawaiian Holiday Dinner Show (with dinner by you know who) at the Elks Club in Walnut Creek. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., dinner at 5:30 p.m. $35. Call (510) 423-3051.
Advance ticket alert: Coming up next week, Maui's madly talented Willie K, a Hawaiian singer and slack-key showman whose new Christmas album is called "Willie Wonderland" CD, plays two holiday shows. The first is at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz Dec. 17 at 6 p.m; tickets are $26, available at Aloha Island Grille. The second is at 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at Menlo College Theater; tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door; click here for a list of ticket outlets.
Slack-key guitarists George Kahumoku (left) and son Keoki Kahumoku are bringing their holiday show to Monterey.
| Dec 10 at 10:00 AM
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Bright idea: Kaua'i lighthouse wins landmark preservation contest
A beautiful but aging Kaua'i lighthouse has won an online landmark preservation contest that will help efforts to restore it in time for its 2013 centennial.
Amelie Stephan / Special to The Chronicle
More than 500,000 people visit Kīlauea Lighthouse every year.
The Garden Isle's beckoning red-topped beacon won the most votes for a Hawai'i treasure in need of preservation in the annual Hampton Hotels Save-a-Landmark contest, which donates money and volunteers for projects in five states each year. This year participants nominated sites in Delaware, Rhode Island, Montana and Idaho, as well as Hawai'i, casting more than 60,000 votes between Oct. 25 and Nov. 20.
The Hampton award announcement notes that the lighthouse "is considered one of the nation’s most intact historic light stations, consisting of a concrete lighthouse, three field stone keepers' quarters, a fuel oil shed, cisterns, and a supply landing platform." (For more about Hawai'i's historic lighthouses, see my May 2009 Aloha Friday column.)
In 1985 the lighthouse became part of the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, which provides a home to Laysan albatrosses, wedge-tailed shearwaters, red-footed boobies and the state bird, the nēnē. Its scenic location on a peninsula in the rural area between the islands' east and north shores adds yet another reason the lighthouse is one of the most popular attractions on Kaua'i (and in the state), numbering more than half a million visitors yearly.
Restoration on the lighthouse began this summer, with $870,000 raised so far toward the goal of $1 million, according to Jane Hoffman, executive director of the Kilauea Point Natural History Association.
One note: The Hampton publicity says it sends teams from its hotels to volunteer at landmarks undergoing preservation, but there are no Hampton Inn hotels in Hawai'i, and while Hampton is part of the larger Hilton chain, there are also no longer any Hilton-affiliated properties on Kaua'i (the last was the Kaua'i Beach Resort, now managed by Aqua Hotels & Resorts.) I suppose volunteers could fly over from Hilton-affiliated hotels on O'ahu, Maui or the Big Island, but I'm thinking Hampton may just send a check. It's all good.
| Dec 09 at 09:00 AM
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Winter warmers: Hotel, airfare deals to Hawai'i
Want a cheap trip to Hawai'i between Christmas and New Year's Day? Well, you'll have to ask Santa for that, because the real world isn't so generous. But if you don't have to travel during the holidays, wintertime travel deals to the islands do exist -- you may have to act fast, though. A current small sampling:
Airfare: For travel Jan. 11 through June 9, 2011, Pleasant Holidays, which has three-night, airfare-included specials to Maui and Kaua'i from San Francisco starting at $415 and $585, respectively. (The Maui rate is good for travel Jan. 8-Feb. 28, 2011, and the Kaua'i rate for Jan. 10-28; prices excluded airport fees and taxes and are based on double occupancy.) But keep in mind many individually owned hotels, inns and bed-and-breakfasts may offer extended-stay and seasonal discounts. That being said, here are some of the bigger players' best bargains:
- Honolulu's top-rated budget hotel, the Best Western Coconut Waikiki, is offering city view rooms for $110 a night prepaid (a 35 percent discount) for stays through March 31, if you book by Dec. 31. The 80-room boutique hotel overlooks the Ala Wai Canal and green mountains (see photo below) as well as other high rises, and rates include free Wi-Fi and a continental breakfast. Look for the Warm Winter Special when booking online.
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts' Hawai'i locations on O'ahu, Maui and the Big Island offer weekend discounts of 20 to 30 percent through Nov. 25, 2011, for prepaid bookings made by this Dec. 31. The Any Weekend, Anywhere special must be booked through the Hilton Honors Web site; sample starting rates for the chain's O'ahu properties on the weekend of Jan. 7-9 include from $207 at the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio, from $223 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and from $295 at the Embassy Suites Beachwalk. Availability varies by date and hotel.
- The Starwood Hawai'i group (including Sheraton, Westin, Luxury Collection and St. Regis properties) gives a third night free, free breakfast for two, free kids' meals and a room upgrade at most locations in its Sunsational program, through March 31. Ask for promo code ZS3 if calling toll free (866) 716-8240.
- The Prince Winter Escape package, valid for Jan. 3 through March 31, 2011 (with some blackout dates), gives a $50 daily resort credit and discounted starting room rates of $229 for an oceanfront room at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki and $220 for a terrace room at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel (on the Big Island's Kohala Coast). For luxury travelers, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel offers a $100 daily resort credit with mountain-view rooms from $450 a night.
With the exception of the holiday period, Hawai'i visitor numbers are showing only slight increases (more on Maui than elsewhere) over last year, although spending per visitor is starting to rise. That means you should be able to shop around for deals that, while not exactly bargain basement, may leave you a little extra to spend once you get there, too.
The Ala Wai Canal and Honolulu's green mountains can be seen from the high-rise Best Western Coconut Waikiki.
Jeanne Cooper / Special to SFGate
The Best Western Coconut Waikiki rooms include a kitchenette and free Wi-Fi.
| Dec 08 at 02:04 PM
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Pearl Harbor's new visitor center informs, inspires
Today marks the 69th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which will be solemnly commemorated at the USS Arizona Memorial and the other key components of what is now called the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. But there will also be an element of celebration, as officials dedicate the new $56 million Pearl Harbor Visitor Center at the national monument.
Jeanne Cooper / Special to SFGate
The USS Arizona Memorial as seen from the Battleship Missouri Memorial -- bookends for the start and end of World War II in the Pacific.
Jeanne Cooper / Special to SFGate
The retrieved anchor of the USS Arizona overlooks the sunken ship.
Jeanne Cooper / Special to SFGate
One of the new educational panels at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
More than 200 Pearl Harbor Survivors are registered to attend the ceremony, overlooking the sunken USS Arizona, where 1,177 sailors and marines died in the attack. The event includes a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the time the attack began, and speeches on the theme "A Promise Fulfilled," reflecting the commitment to honor the dead and educate the living.
The handsome new visitor center does all of that, with a new museum, outdoor educational panels about Japanese and Americans involved in the attack, a ground map of the Pacific, an expanded bookstore, and other new and larger facilities to serve visitors to the state's most popular sightseeing destination. Admission to the USS Arizona Memorial, reached by shuttle boat after visitors watch a 23-minute film, is free, but tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis each morning and are generally all given out by noon. Fortunately, there are more ways now to pass the time waiting for your tour to start, including an audio tour by Ernest Borgnine of the visitor center, interpretive displays and the memorial.
At 1:30 p.m. today, another public commemoration will be held on Ford Island at the USS Oklahoma Memorial, which was dedicated on this date three years ago. The ship suffered the second largest loss of life in the attack: 429 crew members, who are represented by 429 marble columns. A third ceremony (with restricted base access) will be conducted tomorrow at the USS Nevada Memorial at Hospital Point on Hickam AFB, where 57 died defending their ship. A separate commemoration was held at sunset yesterday at the USS Utah Memorial, where 58 servicemen lost their lives on Dec. 7, 1941.
Some attractions at the historic site do charge admission, such as the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum near the visitor center and, moored off of Ford Island, the recently renovated Battleship Missouri Memorial, where Japan formally surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945. The privately run Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island is also a paid attraction.
For security reasons, the national monument places also strict limits on what can be carried there, and, during the shuttle to the Missouri, on what you can photograph. Construction of parking lots around the center is also continuing, with satellite lots at Aloha Stadium. Be sure to check the Web site for details before you go.
If you do break away from the beach to pay a visit, leave your swimsuit at the hotel, and take this advice from the National Park Service:
"Visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial and the USS Utah Memorial should remember that these memorials commemorate those who died as a part of the December 7, 1941 Attack. These memorials are places of honor, understanding and contemplation. Visitors are asked to assist in maintaining an atmosphere of decorum."
Ian Hersey / Special to SFGate
A view of the USS Arizona Memorial in 2001, a few days before the Sept. 11 attack that made many recall the events of Dec. 7, 1941.
Jeanne Cooper / Special to SFGate
A tour group walks on a map of the Pacific in the new Pearl Harbor Visitors Center, which is being dedicated today.
Jeanne Cooper / Special to SFGate
Late in the day, the crowds have waned and a visitor has the view of the USS Bowfin to herself.
Jeanne Cooper / Special to SFGate
A spacious bookstore is one of the new and expanded facilities at the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center.
Budget tips: Through the end of the year Polynesian Adventure Tours is offering free admission for children ages 11 and under accompanied by a paying adult (one child per adult) on six tours that include Pearl Harbor and other sights, ranging in value from $22 to $42.50. The Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort has a WWII Pearl Harbor & USS Missouri 65th Anniversary Package that includes three-night deluxe room accommodations for two, transportation to and from the hotel, a keepsake replica of the Surrender Card that was given to each sailor aboard the Missouri, and a historical tour; rates start at $229 per night (must use promotion code I26 when booking.)
| Dec 07 at 07:55 AM
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