Diverse talents emerge
By John Berger
at Brown Bags
Special to the Star-BulletinTHE airline misplaced her bags and her costume was still missing an hour before call time. A frantic shopping stop provided a last-minute substitute. Lanai High's Amanda Amby took it all in stride and emerged a winner as I-94 presented Brown Bags to Stardom XVIII Saturday at the Waikiki Shell. Amby combined American Sign language, hula and dance movements of her own creation in a moving, beautifully executed interpretation of "My Heart Will Go On."
Amby's performance earned her the top spot in the Non-Audio category. Yasmeen Sulieman (Punahou) took top honors in the Audio category, with Toni Kaonohi (Castle) and Jascelin Lockhart (Leilehua) in the runner-up slots.
It was the first time in several years that the Brown Bags concert didn't feature several national recording acts. Who missed them? Pure Heart and Faceless represented two sides of contemporary island music with high-impact mini sets. Brown Bags V winners Na Leo Pilimehana reigned as prior winners made good. Concert headliner Fiji gave such a strong performance that Brown Bags judge Maurice Starr joined him in a performance that capped the concert.
Ultimately, the contestants were the stars. The diversity of their numbers made the competition colorful. The Rukus (Kahuku) played ska. Mailani Makainai (Maryknoll) sang an original song and accompanied herself on ukulele. Leila Kuzma & Norieann Tacuban (Sacred Hearts) offered a fresh perspective on "How Do I Live" with their beautifully arranged duet. Frank Villanueva (Pearl City) displayed leading man aplomb singing "At This Moment." Nicole Wong & Bradford Lee (Iolani) reached the finals playing "Rhapsody in Blue" on mismatched acoustic pianos.
Litasha Johnson (Waialua) and guitarist Adam Crowe (Kaiser) were among the six others who made it to the finals along with representatives of the Kauai, Maui and Big Island school districts. Big Island champions Da Kona Boys added another facet to the program with their down-home revival of a Hawaiian song from the '20s.
The diversity extended to the contestants' experience. Lockhart had grown up singing in church but his stunning a capella rendition of "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" for Brown Bags was his first exposure to the secular stage. Crowe is set on a career in music. He said his dad promised to buy him recording equipment if he won, but win or lose he's going to follow his dream. Sulieman has performed in local theater.
Kaonohi won the crowd with her spirited delivery of "Hale'iwa Hula." Johnson's sweetly innocent performance of Na Leo's "The Rest Of Your Life" was another highlight.
John Berger has covered the local entertainment scene since 1972.
