Gathering supports
Maui ukulele group

An ukulele benefit concert featuring Willie K, Amy Gilliam, Ikaika brown and other top players and slack key artists will be held 2 to 6 p.m. March 1 at Hula Grill at the Whalers Village.

The free event will help send more than a dozen of Maui's talented youth to participate in the Fourth Annual Ukulele Festival of North California in Hayward.

Hula Grill will donate all profits from food and beverage sales during the four-hour concert for the young musicians' airfare and other expenses.

Performing together under the name Kaulana Na Pua O Maui, the Maui youths, ages 11 to 17 years, will be the only group representing the state of Hawaii. The group needs $6,000 of which half has already been raised.

For more information call 667-6636.

Making music

Kukahi '97 starring Keali'i Reichel along with Kekuhi Kanahele, Uluwehi Guerrero, Big Island artists Sudden Rush, and Maui's Eric Gilliom will perform three concerts at the Hawaii Theatre on March 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday matinee.

Ticket prices are $20 and $30 for Friday and Saturday evening performances; $15 and $25 for Sunday's performance.

For more information call 261-1298.

Facing reggae's Cliff

"The Harder They Come," the feature film starring Jimmy Cliff that introduced reggae music to the world, will be shown at the Hawaii Theatre March 2 at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $6 for matinee shows and $10 for all shows starting after 6 p.m. Tickets are available by calling the Hawaii Theatre box office at 528-0506, or all Connection outlets.

Perry Henzell, the film's producer/director and co writer, will conduct a question-and-answer session following each showing and discuss his planned sequel, "The Harder They Come 2."

"The Harder They Come" tells the story of the challenges faced by a young reggae musician, played by Cliff, from the Jamaican countryside who comes to the teeming shanty town slums of Kingston to pursue his dream of making music.

The film also will be shown on Maui at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. Friday at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center; at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Kauai Community College; at 5 and 9 p.m. March 8 at the Honokaa People's Theaters on the Big Island; and at 7 and 9 p.m. March 9 at the Aloha Theater in Kainaliu.

Thompson in concert

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Richard Thompson makes his Hawaii debut with performances 9:30 p.m. March 21 on Maui and 9 p.m. March 22 on Oahu.

Thompson will perform on Maui at Casanova's in Makawao and in Honolulu at the Hawaiian Hut.

Thompson performed in the 1960s with Fairport Convention and, of late, has been writing in the style of Celtic folk music.

The Oahu concert also will feature slack key virtuoso Ledward Kaapana.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. On Oahu tickets are available at Tower outlets, Hungry Ear, Kailua and Wahiawa, Kua Aina Hamburger in Haleiwa and Island Guitar.

On Maui, tickets are available at the Bad Ass Coffee Company in Kihei and Maui Coffee Roasters in Kahalui and Casanova's.

For more information call 637-4475.

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Compiled by Catherine Kekoa Enomoto, Star-Bulletin.

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