Archive for February, 2010

Sunday January 31 2010 ends on a high note of excitement & fun at the beautiful Castle Theater in Kahului, Maui when Pianist Alpin Hong takes the stage at 5PM.  A dazzling pianist whose playful sense of humor and emotional range combine artfully with Julliard classical training, Alpin Hong has thrilled audiences across The World, touching down on Maui with a show certain to appeal to audiences of all ages.  Alpin Hong embodies youthful drive & energy, melding a passion for skateboarding, snowboarding, martial arts and video games with piano playing that is high octane excitement.

Los Angelos native Alpin Hong’s two CDS, 2005s self titled debut and 2007’s Friend Taskmaster Teacher, honor a range of artists with his imaginative inspirational playing: Brahms, Debussy, Scarlatti, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Gershwin, Ginastra, and Bach all receive excellent treatment due to the fingers and the mind of Alpin Hong. 

The Castle Theater is a fun venue, Hong’s concert is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.  Tickets are a bargain: $12, $25 and $32, available via https://www.mauiarts.org/tickets/ or call 808-242-8850.  There will be a pre-concert dinner by Consuelo’s Catering.  Do not miss this opportunity to catch a great show.

Return to Chinatown Friday February 5 2010 at 6PM to 10PM when The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii presents the 61th Annual Narcissus Festival and Choy Cheng, Traditional Lion Dance Blessing, and Chinatown Open House at the Chinese Cultural Plaza and throughout Chinatown. The evening commences at 8 South Street with a traditional Chinese Lion Dance Blessing – - Choy Chen.

The newly crowned Narcissus Queen and her Court will visit various businesses and their patrons. Stores & Eateries will celebrate by igniting firecrackers and offering good luck money envelopes to the dancing lions. Once again there will be food vendors aplenty along with arts & crafts and music & dance and the revelry of the crowd. The party will go on into the night at the many fine bars & clubs in the Arts District.

Plan on partying all day and all night Saturday February 6 2010 though the event is officially called ‘A Night in Chinatown.’ The event will rumble into life at 9AM once more the Chinese Cultural Plaza will host various vendors and artisans, plenty of great food, lots of fun & surprises. However the most wildly anticipated event will be the “Night in Chinatown Parade” from 3:30 PM to 5:30PM, which begins at the State Capitol on Hotel Street and works its way to Maunakea Street.

Parade participants will include Festival Queens and their Courts, lion and dragon dance associations (and I would hope more than a few Tigers), kung fu & martial arts associations, various civic groups and service organizations, and be on the lookout for a special 150 foot dragon.

All day and into the night the Chinatown Merchant Association presents a block party on Maunakea and Smith Street. All ages are invited. Keiki Land will provide inflatable rides as well as games. Vendors will be selling food of every imaginable variety. There will be two stages set up for cultural demonstrations, entertainment, more lion & dragon dances, martial arts, and so much more. For further info scope out <a href=”http://chinatownhi.com/?q=node/648″>Chinatowns Calendar of Events</a>.

Expect the unexpected and prepare to have a grand time welcoming the New Lunar Year The Year of the Tiger 4708. Kung Hee Fat Choy!

It was a beautiful day in the middle of the Oahu at the Central Oahu Regional Park as round of 16 action completed yesterday in the Honolulu Challenger tournmanet put on by the USTA as part of the Pro Circuit events.

All 8 matches managed to finish in two sets as the remaining ranked players made it through to the round of 8. Results Below.

Mark Russell def. Roko Karanusic 6-1, 6-0
Ryan Sweeting def. Peter Polansky 6-4, 6-2
Robert Kendrick def. Andre Begemann 7-5, 6-1
Donald Young def. Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6(2)
Grega Zelmja def. Go Soeda 6-2, 6-4
Lester Cook def. Tsung-Hua Yang 6-2, 6-4
Kevin Anderson def. Nikola Mektic 6-3, 6-4
Kevin Kim def. Leo Rosenberg 6-2, 6-4

Round of 8 action continues today starting at 10:00 am.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center continues to present an ecletric mix of entertainment showcasing the impressive talents of Halau O Kekuhi on Saturday January 30 2010 at 7:30PM when they present the long awaited sequel to their groundbreaking Holo Mai Pele.

Hi‘iaka Ka Wahinepo‘aimoku will tell the tale of Pelehonuamea’s younger sister Hi‘iakaikapoliopele as she continues an epic journey to fetch Lohi’au the Chief of Ha’ena Kaua’i.  There will be familiar hula from the dance drama Holo Mai Pele interspersed with new interpretations of the mele as Halau O Kekuhi acts out “the fall of Pana‘ewa the mo‘o god from Hawai‘i; delve into the subconscious realm of Kapo‘ulakina‘u from the island of Maui; defer to the forest goddesses Ko‘iahi, Mailelauli‘i and Kaiona of Wai‘anae mountain range.”

Holo Mai Pele premiered at the MACC in 1995 and was aired nationally on PBS’s Great Performances in 2001.  Nā kumu hula Pualani Kanaka‘ole Kanahele and Nālani Kanaka‘ole of Hālau O Kekuhi are the co-creators and choreographers of this epic hula drama.

This project has been made possible by American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius, a major initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts; and is recognized as an American masterwork of artistic and cultural significance.

Tickets for this event are $12, $25, and $40 and are available via Maui Arts & Cultural Center.  There will be a preshow dinner by Alexander’s Famous Fish Co. featuring a tempting array of eats including their famous ‘Seafood Won-Tons’ and ‘Tempura Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes.’  (check out the menu here) Equally famous is Alexander’s ‘Mango Salsa’ and cajun grilled specialties!  Bon Appetite.

Everyone is invited to join Halau O Kekuhi in the McCoy Theater at 6PM on Friday January 29 2010 for a FREE lecture/demonstration to gain a better understanding of the characters and stories in this all too rare hula drama.

It’s on to the round of 16 for mens singles in the 2010 USTA Honolulu Challenger Tournament at the Central Oahu Regional Park’s Tennis Complex. Competition got underway today at 10:00 am HST.

The competition still has several of the top seeded players including number 1 seed Michael Russell of the USA who defeated Ryler Deheart in the first round 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. He will be playing Roko Karanusic of Croatia today at 10 am. Also playing today in the third match on Court #4 is USA’s Kevin Kim (number 2 seed) playing another country man, Leo Rosenberg. Kim made it to the second round by defeating Tatsuma Ito of Japan in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5).

The round of 16 will finish today. Also being held is more first round action of the mens doubles which includes all 3 top seed teams of Treat Conrad Huey/Harsh Mankad (1), Scott Lipsky/Rylan Rizza (2), and Lester Cook/David Martin(3).

We’ll be back tonight with results of all today’s action.

Pianist Alpin Hong brings verve & vivacity to the Kahilu Theatre in Kamuela on the Big Island of Oahu at 8PM Friday January 28^th 2010 for a special Youth Concert.  Appropriate for a man often called a “Pied Piper of the Piano,” a gifted artist who combines a passion for skateboarding & snowboarding, the discipline of martial arts, a love of video games with extensive classical piano training, forging a force of boundless energy that has captivated audiences across The Globe.

Alpin Hong made his orchestral debut at age ten with the Kalamazoo Symphony, soon moving to Los Angeles where he scored competition victories at the 1989 Stravinsky Piano Competition, the 1993 SYMF Competition and the 1994 Los Angeles Spotlight Awards Competition.  Whirlwind tours soon followed and in 2005 Alpin Hong released his first CD, igniting works by Brahms, Scarlatti, Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky with playful energy & dazzling skill.

The 490 seat Kahilu Theatre in Kamuela, the Big Island of Hawai’i is a delightful venue a perfect showcase for Alpin Hong, whose appearance is presented with generous support from Monk’s Delight Kona Coffee and The Hilton WaikaloaVillage.  Tickets are $40 and $35 and can be obtained by calling 808-885-6868 or by visiting  http://www.kahilutheatre.org/box-office .

Sports Tourism gets a major boost in Hawai’i with the 2010 Honolulu Challenger at the Patsy T Mink Central O’ahu Regional Park January 24 through January 31 2010.  This is a splendid opportunity for island residents to watch many of the best up & coming tennis pros on the planet playing here in Hawai’i a place that ought to be the number one destination for sporting events.

A veritable galaxy of national & international tennis stars are slated to appear: Kei Nishikori, Michael Russell, Donald Young, Jesse Levine, Jesse Witten, Ryan Sweeting, Robert Kendrick, Kevin Kim, among others.

What is truly remarkable is that there is FREE ADMISSION to all matches and community events.  Matches begin Sunday January 24^th at 9AM,continuing thru the week of the 25^th thru the 29^th at 10AM, there will be a special night match at 5PM Friday January 29^th, wrapping up Saturday & Sunday, January 30 & 31^st, at 11AM.

Cease to wonder what would bring your family together, all ages are welcome to attend community tennis clinics; Friday January 29^th 3:30pm to 5PM, Saturday January 30^th 8:30AM to 10AM.  On Sunday January 31^st from 10AM to 2PM there is a USTA Membership Appreciation event featuring door prizes.  Racquets & Balls will be provided for all Community Tennis Clinics.

This cannot be overstated; Sports Tourism is a healthy fun alternative for Hawai’i’s future so consider supporting this event by attending this event.  For further info check out http://www.hawaii.usta.com/ .

Experience an exhilarating evening of Hula with Halau Hula O Kahikilaulanialau under the direction of famed Kumu Rae Fonseca Saturday January 30 2010 at the historic Hilo Palace Theater on the Big Island of Hawai’i (38 Haili St). The doors open at 5PM and the show begins at 6PM, with Hilo’s beloved Aunty Penny Vrendenburg emceeing an event featuring a Galaxy of great entertainers.

Attendees will be serenaded by Makana O Laua’e with Ho’o Apo, treated to the slack key styling of Uncle Cyril Pahinui, The Kaimu Sons, dazzled by hula compositions by Na Keiki, Na Opio, Na Kane and the lovely ladies (Wahine) of Halau Hula O Kahikilaulanialau.

Kumu Rae Fonsecu dedicates his life to preserving and presenting Hawai’i’an Culture, having established Halau Hula o Kahikilaulanialau in Hilo in 1980, he is active as a teacher, having won numerous awards at the Merrie Monarch Festivals.

Artisan Kele Kanahele, an expert of the Pupu Ni’ihau (Ni’ihau Shells) will be hosting an exhibit of his amazing collection of shell lei in the lobby of the Palace Theater.

This dazzling display of talent is a steal, $20 for tickets, available through the Halau, call 935-8878 or 557-7102 for more information.

A container ship sailed into Honolulu Harbor yesterday after navigating 25 foot seas from LA to Honolulu, losing 6 containers, and having multiple containers hanging from the ships side. That same ship remains in Honolulu Harbor with only 2 remaining containers crushed and being prepped for removal.

You can see in the picture that a large crew remains and multiple cranes are trying to remove what’s left of the containers on board.

‘Iolani Luahine one of Hawai’i’s most beloved kumu hula and cultural practitioner passed away in 1978. Honored by a statue at the Hilton Hawai’i’an Village further blessed by a festival held in her honor since 2003, a day of cultural workshops, a celebratory dinner, an evening of Halau presentations, stories and memories of Aunty ‘Iolani Luahine.  This event will be held Saturday, January 30^th, 2010 from 9AM to 9PM at the beautiful Keauhou Beach Resort in Kailua-Kona on The Big Island of Hawai’i.

A modest fee of $30 gives one access to one or two or all three workshops: educational presentations of hula, including forest and lei protocol. Classes run 9:00 – 11:00AM, Kumu Iwalani Kalima; 1:00 to 3:00PM Kumu Keala Ching; 3:30  – 5:30 pm Loea Kawaikapuokalani Hewett.  Dinner will be available for purchase 5:30 – 7:30PM. 

However the rest of the evenings fun is free, though donations are always welcome.  Several well known Halau will be giving presentations from 6:30 to 8:30 PM;  Ka Pa Hula Na Wai Iwi Ola – Kumu Keala Ching; Halau o Kukuimalamalama o Kona – Kumu Bulla Ka’iliwai; Halau Na Kipu’upu’u -Kumu Micah Kamohoali’I; Halau Kaulaokalani o Kona – Kumu Wayne Takemoto.

Tickets available by contacting Na Wai Iwi Ola Foundation’s, Kumu Keala Ching, at P.O. Box 3647, Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i 96745 mkeala@turquoise.net or check out nawaiiwiola.org for more information about how to attend the event.