Category: Music

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A RASCAL AND A DOLLY REVIVE ‘MY HAWAII’ HIT FOR MAUI FIRE FUNDRAISER

Felix Cavaliere, a member of The Rascals and co-writer of the group’s popular “My Hawaii”  hit from the past, has re-recorded the tune with Dolly Parton.

The song, co-composed by the group’s lead singer Eddie Brigati, was a staple in the bands for years, and apparently was written  and recorded by The Rascals, formerly The Young Rascals,  following concerts in the islands.

Felix Cavaliere

The revival soon will be available for downloading and streaming as a benefit for the Maui United Way’s Maui Fire Disaster Relief Fund. I have heard the 2024 version sung and it is a splendid fundraiser for the 2023 wildfire tragedy that erased the Lahaina waterfront businesses and left hundreds homeless and more than 100 killed.

Cavaliere solicited  the kokua of Parton on vocals, to join the effort to provide financial assistance to the Maui community members whose businesses and residences, including the thriving Lahaina waterfront, were devastated in the wildfire.

Dolly Parton

Both Cavaliere and The Rascals, and country singer and iconic entertainer Dolly Parton, have had ties with the islands, and singing “My Hawaii,” with lyrics that mention Maui, was a natural means of creating a meaningful homage to the Valley Island.

“The song ‘My Hawaii’ is a token of love and gratitude to the people of Hawaii, especially Maui,” said Cavaliere.

The Rascals visited Hawaii for the first time in August of 1966 to perform at “The First Teen Fair”, a five-day event held from Aug. 24 to 28  at the Hawaii International Center (HIC)  Exhibition Hall, where admission was $1.  Because of terrific fan response, promoter Tom Moffatt rebooked The Rascals for five more sell-out gigs at the HIC Arena (now the Neal Blaisdell Center) between 1967 and 1969.

The Rascals, back in the day, from left: Gene Cornish, Eddie Brigati, Dino Danelli and Felix Cavaliere.

In August of 1967, following an arena show, Moffatt staged  a Neighbor Island tour, enchanting fans on Maui, Kauai and The Big Island.

Legend has it that Cavaliere and Brigati penned “My Hawaii” after a performance on Aug.10, 1967, at the Maui War Memorial Auditorium.

“My Hawaii,” introduced on The Rascals’ 1968 album, “Once Upon a Dream,” never was a single release, but it found an audience, particularly in the islands.

A Hawaii group, The Krush, adopted “My Hawaii” for its island shows, including the Main Showroom of the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel.

In recent years, Cavalier, minus The Rascals, performed at the Blue Note Hawaii club, which previously was the Main Showroom, at the Outrigger Waikiki resort.

It’s uncertain how Cavaliere was able to access the services of Parton to make “My Hawaii” a two-voice special. 

Parton had both musical and business ties to Hawaii. She concertized at Conroy Bowl at Schofield Barracks in May 1976 for a military audience, and headlined a Blaisdell Arena show in 1987. She also launched a restaurant, Dockside Plantation, a waterfront destination at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, which operated for nearly a year and a half.

The remake of “My Hawaii” is a crisp, fascinating find, rejuvenating one of the grand hit tracks from the past. Both Cavaliere and Parton take turns, articulating the lyrics, which have everlasting appeal; and midway in the song, there’s recitation of the words—rich with aloha, resourceful in tapping emotions. For a fund-raiser, this is fabulous in tapping emotions and nudging the heart.

However, I’ve been awaiting a link from Maui United Way that will enable supporters to hear the tune, with a gorgeous video of the beauty and the magic that is Hawaii (Cavaliere and Parton are not shown performing the tune), to download for streaming with a donation to support the Maui fundraising effort. If and when I receive that info, I will update this report and share the link…

Update: the tune has landed on YouTube, and here’s the link:

And that’s Show Biz…

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THREE HOURS WITH CAZIMERO

Robert Cazimero’s 75th birthday celebration last night (March 20) at Chef Chai’s was an unprecedented three-hour serenade, characterized by a spectrum of melodies  by the maestro of the keyboard.

The champagne flowed, which fueled the formidable mini-marathon, and the vocals prompted impromptu and voluntary hula, validating the local custom of getting up and dancing, if you know the particular number. So, a continuous wave of hula brothers and sisters  – solo, or perhaps up to seven or eight — joined the celebratory, mesmerizing moments.

And lei. Plenty of lei were bestowed on Cazimero, nearly burying him head-deep in fragrant pikake and pua keni keni,  making him look like a Kamehameha Schools chap on graduation day.

Naturally, his output of tunes – Hawaiian, pop classics, even kid-time numbers – made him appear like a human jukebox, minus the coins needed to fuel the music. This was, emphatically, a command performance before a loyal crowd, mostly of folks who’ve followed him concerts large and small. Cazimero might have stayed till midnight, but the non-stop three-hour session set a record.

 

And since we’ve reviewed his shows regularly in recent months, we’ll resort to sharing instead a modest gallery of those who danced. And if you know the restaurant’s setting, the aisles are not ideal for dancing, or photographing.

Happy birthday, Robert…may you have more joyous years of serenading. And mahalo, Chai Chaowasaree, for providing Robert a monthly showcase…

And that’s Show Biz…

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A HALAU OF A SHOW, FROM CAZIMERO

Robert Cazimero’s “Pae ‘Aina (Hawaiian for archipelago)  concert yesterday (March 17) was a two-part wonderment, celebrating the splendor of hula kahiko (ancient hula) in the first half, and informal chit-chat plus some hula auwana (modern hula) in the second half.

Cazimero, the kumu hula of Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, was acknowledging the astonishing breadth and roots of male hula and vocalizing, the hallmarks of his gents, at the near sell-out performance at Leeward Community College Theatre.

The opening number: “This Is Our Island Home.”

So, what was on display? Plenty, like the pulse, the professionalism, and the perfection within the halau, reflecting  the devotion, the loyalty, the commitment, the camaraderie, and the brotherhood that have been the trademark of Halau Na Kamalei, now in its 49th year of sharing the

mesmerizing and magnificence of hula.

Clearly, Cazimero has shaped and honed his dancers, with choreography and vocals, and the process involves imagination and innovation, with syncopated movement and harmonic singing.

At the launch of the show, the guys rendered “This Is Our Island Home,” which became a medley with “He Aloha Nihoa,” which triggered an island-by-island tour de force, embracing each island with mele, beginning with Kaho‘olawe, Ni‘ihau, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Lana‘i and Moloka‘I, Maui and the Big Island. With this ‘ohana, no island is left out.

When the company of 20 performs, the spectators have a lot to explore and examine – fingers and hands, feet and legs, arms and knees uniformly perform as one unit; the choreography enables any number of troupers – six, eight, two, four dancers beginning the hula, and  two or four or one would  easily glide into motion, without skipping a beat. That’s precision.

Hula kahiko — gents dance, kumu Robert Cazimero on pahu.

The lads augment Cazimero’s stint at the piano and pahu (drums), utilizing a number of traditional hula instruments for hula kahiko, like ‘uli ‘uli  (percussion gourd), pu ‘ili (bamboo rattle), pu‘ohe (bamboo trumpet)  ‘ipu (gourd drum) and kala‘au (rhythm sticks). That’s versatility.

Gunnie, clad in ti leaf skirt and draped in maile, has a solo moment.

As the regular  Cazimero viewers know, the gents have nicknames like Bully, Kolohe, Buddy, Gunnie and Puna.  There’s even a Brad Cooper in the ranks (he says he’s the original, not the film star) and peers  with conventional names, like Nick, Zach, Jonah, Daniel, Parker, and Keola, among others, who emerge and entertain. That’s normalcy.

These guys let their hair down after intermission, in an informal, unscripted,  hang-loose segment with panel leaders. Hula brother Manu Boyd had a stint in this section, too. The format was risky, the comments hilarious, the mood spontaneous. That’s humanity.

The finale: Lahela Ka’aihue dances on “Waika.”

Throughout the show, hula sisters like Sky Perkins took the mike to introduce the tour of the archipelago . Another hula sister, Lahela Ka‘aihui joined the company to dance in the finale, “Waika.”  That’s fellowship.

Everthing considered, it was a halau of a production…

And that’s Show Biz…

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TIME MARCHES ON…CAZIMERO, TOO

March 20 is Robert Cazimero’s “39th” birthday, and he’s traditionally celebrating the whole month.

One “party” was his Full Moon concert last night (March 3), at Chef Chai’s, his monthly sold-out gig. But more on this later.

Cazimero, pictured below, is kumu hula of Halau Na Kamalei O Likolehua, the all-gents group of dancers, and the halau and its leader are staging a benefit  for the halau at 7:30 p.m. March 17 at Leeward Community Theatre.

Themed “Pae ‘Aina,” the show – still in planning and rehearsing mode – will feature an all-kahiko for Act 1, according to kumu. A unique Act 2 will assemble the halau troupers in three groups (senior dancers, mid-range dancers, and newbie-younger dancers), to reflect the spectrum of the halau members, according to Cazimero.

The show is sort of a prelude to next year’s milestone for kumu Cazimero –- “my 50th anniversary as a hula teacher,” he said —  and the halau will return to the Merrie Monarch Festival in 2025. So, it will be a memorable niche in the halau’s history…

But back to Cazimero’s show at Chai’s. It was a marvelous overview including usual serenades of Hawaiian music, in Hawaiian and in English, plus a nostalgic roster of pop tunes. The result; a lei laced with layers of memories and remembrances, of joy and humor, and nostalgic anecdotes from the past.

Robert Cazimero, on keyboards, with dancer Fern (Kapalai ‘Ula Silva).

Examples:

  • The first song he learned with brother Roland, before they became part of Sunday Manoa and then The Brothers Cazimero was “The Nearness of You,” emblematic of their bond that would establish the bros as a bona fide Waikiki entity, for several decades, including their 1982 to 1994 residency at the Monarch Room, at the fabled “Pink Palace,” aka the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Naturally, Cazimero sang “Royal Hawaiian Hotel,” a classic melody combining Hawaiian and English lyrics.
  • The mentors who taught him chords and the tricks of the piano were the legendary Mahi Beamer and Loyal Garner.
  • Tunes still lodged in his memory book, from visits to Disneyland in the past: “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo,”  and he sang ‘em all. Even “Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse,” the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song that today’s kids don’t know.

Bully (Keola Makaiau), dancing to “Leahi,” but victim of a mistake.

  • His playful moments with featured hula dancers Fern (Kapalai ‘Ula Silva) and Bully (Keola Makaiau) reflected comradery; she was the focus of “Lovely Hula Hands,” with her hula hands graceful as the birds mentioned in the tune; he was the victim of making an error in enacting “Leahi,” the melody about Diamond Head, and the playful miscue meant the dancer had to buy the singer-pianist a drink.
  • The drink led to the obvious toast and tune, “Drinking Champagne,” with intermittent pauses for Cazimero to take a sip of bubbly.

Don’t expect to hear these songs or chit-chats in future Full Moon Concerts at Chai’s, since Cazimero never repeats and regurgitates his patter and patterns. You get an original each time he’s at bat…

And that’s Show Biz…

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MARIOTA FINALLY AT SUPER BOWL

Reflections on last Sunday’s Super Bowl:
Marcus Mariota, homegrown football fave, finally made it to the Super Bowl. Well, sorta. The Philadelphia Eagles’ underutilized secondary QB was heard but not seen on the  Super Bowl telecast.

Mariota (pictured) narrated that splendid Lahaina Wildfire commercial, that reflected the Maui Strong message, depicting the horrors of that August day, when more than 100 perished and the historic harbor front town was reduced to a charcoal-gray ghost town. The commercial was a preview to the coin toss to begin the battle between the favored San Francisco 49ers and the underdog Kansas City Chiefs. A Lahainaluna football contingent were honored, including  four Luna team members, including players Morgan “Bula” Montgomery, Teva Loft, Kaulana Tihada and Kuola Watson who were joined by their coaches Dean Rickard and Garret Tihada and former head coach Bobby Watson…

Then there was actor Jason Momoa (pictured), the Hawaii native, in a T-Mobile clip, even singing and doing a backflip, in the commercial featuring  Zach Braff and Donald Faison, who shelved their usual “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” vocalizing. In a comedic set-up, Braff and Faison knock on a door with a plate of wings, and Momoa informs them that the party had been cancelled due to the cable being out. Then, Braff and Faison broke out in song and dance moves, convincing Momoa to switch to T-Mobile 5g home internet while chirping ”What a Feeling” from the 1983 film “Flashdance.” “Aquaman” joins in only to get doused with water…in a splashdance of sorts…

With CBS  airing the Super Bowl, it was no surprise to see quick images of “NCIS: Hawaii” co-stars Vanessa Lachey and LL Cool J together…

Of course, Dwayne Johnson, an island native, got camera time, too, but why not? He’s The Rock…

But there was no sign of local boy Bruno Mars, who has a residency at the MGM Resort, but then again, he was busy during the weekend, hosting and opening The Pinky Ring, his new ritzy lounge/bar at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip, where the likes of Lady Gaga and Blake Shelton popped in during Super Bowl weekend…

Nyle Hallman dies at 95

Sorry to report the death, on Feb. 14, of Nyle Hallman, widow of Roy Hallman  who were co- founders of the Honolulu Boy Choir. She was 95. She also was the  longtime accompanist for the choir and the veteran  organist of the Central Union Church.

Daughter Kathy Hallman confirmed the death at the family home.

Blake M. Nuibe, who has served as executive director of the world-famous Honolulu Boy Choir, said he and boy choir ohana members Kay Hirasuna, Glenn Seo and Philip Fujimoto, recently gifted Nyle with a Hawaiian floral arrangement to celebrate the new year and to wish her well.

 “I conversed with Nyle on Jan. 18 and again on Feb.9,” said Nuibe. “Both times, her mind was sharp, and her spirits were high, but knew her health was flailing.  Kathy is heartbroken but very grateful for Nyle’s long. amazing life.”

Nyle and Roy (who died April 20, 2007, at age 82) had a successful and prolific life with the Boy Choir, which they co-founded in 1974, inspired by the Vienna Boy Choir. They enlisted boys 7 to 14 — with or without experience, many with higher-pitched voices due to their young ages – to sing, focus, and to be attentive while standing on risers, unified in voice, and mentored by the Hallmans. The choir toured globally, were fixtures on not only on the concert stage, but in recordings and TV, and for many years did Christmas season concerts, notably featuring their version of “Numbah One Day of Christmas,” at the Monarch Room of the fabled Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Nyle was a masterful musician, who played harp as well as organ, and has been the organist at Central Union and principal harpist with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra.

Funeral services are pending…

Streetlighters have weekend shows

Streetlight Cadence will do shows on Maui and the Big Island this weekend.

The agenda, part of the group’s ongoing Brighter Than Ever Tour, includes these shows:

–Friday (Feb. 16), at 7:30 p.m., at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center’s McCoy Studio Theatre. (tickets).

–Saturday (Feb. 17), at 7 p.m., at Kahilu Theatre in Waimea, on the Big Island. Tickets: $40, $70. (tickets)

–Sunday, at 2 p.m., at Hungry Ear Records in Kakaako. Free, with a meet-and-greet after the show. please RSVP here

Broadway grosses, for week ending Feb. 11

“Hamilton” again is the No. 1 draw on Broadway, a skosh ahead of “The King.”

Here’s the top 10:

1—”Hamilton,”$1,565 million.

2—”The Lion King,” $1,504 million.

3—”Merrily We Roll Along,” $1,494 million.

4—” Wicked,” $1,303 million.

5—”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1,260 million.

6—”Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,205 million,

7–“MJ The Musical,” $1,163 million.

8—” Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $949,121,

9–“ Aladdin,” $923,150,

10—”& Juliet,” $897,506.

The complete list, courtesy The Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz. …