COURTESY OF OLOMANA Fans of Olomana know that the group has been playing at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for the past 10 years. The group, pictured clockwise from left, consists of Wally Suenaga, Willy Paikuli, Jerry Santos and Haunani Apoliona.

Hidden gem
at the Hilton

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John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com

Olomana Where: Hawaii Theatre When: 8 p.m. today Tickets: $30 (discounts available for seniors, military personnel and students) Call: 528-0506

Those local entertainment pundits who've fretted from afar in recent years about the alleged lack of Hawaiian music in Waikiki need venture no farther than the Hilton Hawaiian Village to find that their fears have been groundless all along.

Jerry Santos can't cite the specific opening night off the top of his head, but Olomana's been playing there for "probably going into our 11th (year). I don't know about it being 'a secret' (either)," he added.

True, the hotel doesn't do much advertising to promote the fact that one of the foremost groups in contemporary Hawaiian music plays there each weekend, and Santos never felt comfortable sending out press releases or items to columnists, but it's important for fans of Hawaiian music to know that Olomana plays there on a weekly basis.

"The Paradise Lounge where we play has turned into a little gathering place for people who like Hawaiian music and are musicians or hula dancers, and on any given Friday or Saturday, we're lucky to have people drop by. There's a standing joke about who actually is in the group. I always say it's me, and some of Olomana, and whoever else shows up that evening."

In short, the format is more like a party than a formal show. After such a long stint, the hotel's management trusts Santos enough to give him pretty much of a free hand.

"It's nice to have longevity in a place. It's nice to have a place that's comfortable enough that we can share the stage. The hotel allows us to do that, we have that freedom with the people who came, and it's turned into a quite a fun thing over the years."

There's another bonus to the gig as well. Santos can bring in subs when Haunani Apoliona's responsibilities as Office of Hawaiian Affairs chairperson, or Wally Suenaga's business interests, make it necessary for one or both of them to miss a night.

And then there is the occasional night like tonight, when the entire group takes a night off from the Hilton to headline an engagement at the Hawaii Theatre. The theme of the show is "Me he lau no ke Ko'olau ke aloha," which Santos says reflects the fact that many of the guest artists share Santos' roots in Windward Oahu.

"One of the reoccurring themes that kept coming up in the song selection, and the selection of people that we invited to be part of the show, was this sharing between the generations. How important it is in recognizing and sharing the family songs, the stories that go with them, and the greater importance of how those songs reconnect us with being Hawaiian people and our connection with the land.

"It basically takes family and friends from the Windward side and then kind of builds on that (and) I think for us in our music, besides the exploration of Hawaiian music, the metamorphosis of Olomana over the years has always tried, in the music, to express that kind of connection."

THE PROGRAM will include a mix of songs from the group's early days when Olomana was a duo consisting of Santos and the late Robert Beaumont. Reorganized as a quartet after Beaumont's death (with Apoliona, Suenaga and Willy Paikuli joining Santos), Olomana waited almost 10 years before recording the Hoku Award-winning "E Mau Ana Ka Ha'ahao" in 1991.

So when will Olomana record again? "The $64,000 question," Santos said with a chuckle.

"We did one (album) together and then nothing. It's kind of a standing joke and I really know why we don't. It's not for lack of resources, it's not for lack of material or ideas. For some reason, it just seemed like it was time to take a good long pause and see what everybody else was doing and what people had to offer and where our place was. With everybody's career choices, it became necessary to focus on the live performance."

And despite the fact that Olomana hasn't recorded in so long, Santos says that group continues to play "all the time."

"I know a lot of people in town find it difficult to find places, and I was thinking the other day that, in the 30 years that I've been playing music, I don't think I've missed a weekend playing anywhere ... I think I've been lucky in many ways."

And with all the recent radio station format changes, Santos says a new generation is discovering their recordings from years ago.

"It's just amazing ... the passion that a lot of the younger people carry for the traditional Hawaiian music."

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