There’s a new addition to the Sayre household in Mililani Mauka. Loretta Ables Sayre, the entertainer, and David Sayre, her publicist hubby, have welcomed Kamuela Sayre, whose pitter-pattering around the house is music to the ears.
Kamuela is 7, so somewhat of a senior, and he is a black lab mix “that is all love,” says Loretta. “We weren’t looking for a senior dog after losing Kaimana so recently,” she says on Facebook. “But when we met Kamuela and couldn’t get him out of our minds, we knew he needed us.”
It’s been a mutual admiration relationship since. So the Hawaiian Humane Society is one dog short, and Kamuela’s constantly wagging tail means he’s happy to find a home.
Kamuela loves cooked rice, and is “77 lbs. of solid love,” says Loretta. “Our hearts are full again.” …
A Willie remembrance…
Since June is Willie K Month on Maui — and there’s no rule that we can’t salute Willie Kahaiali’i in Honolulu — thought I’d share a reflection from one of his fans on Oahu.
This was from an email I received today; the writer prefers anonymity:
“Before he was really well-known, a young pre-school teacher in our Alpha Delta Kappa educational sorority got him to entertain at our Southwest Conference at the Sheraton Waikiki because his child was in her class. He liked her so much he did it for free.
“On the evening of our banquet he walked onto the stage with wild, bushy hair, aloha shirt, short pants and no shoes. Seated next to me was a special guest from Washington, DC. She was not a classroom teacher but an out-spoken woman who trained executives. Taking one look at Willie K’s, she expressed her outrage at his appearance.
“Then as he talked and started with ‘local’ songs, she continued to complain. However, she was silenced when he sang an operatic selection, and at the end of the evening she wanted to thank the pre-school teacher.”
Willie often startles or even offends folks who’ve never seen or heard him, but inside this rough, perhaps sometimes crude exterior lived an artist who mostly let his music tell his story. Yes, he often wore slippahs and appeared on stage with a comfy disposition. But when he sang, he reigned supreme — a book that might have a tattered cover, but a soul with pages of significant power and compelling storytelling brilliance. Simply, he has been a cultural pioneer with hard-to-beat versatility. Imua, Willie, and yes, Hawaii and the world miss you dearly…
And that’s “Show Biz.”…