StarBulletin.com

Kalani Kinimaka swings back into singing at the age of 72


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POSTED: Saturday, August 22, 2009

Kalani Kinimaka, now living on Maui, was told by friends that Lulu's was looking for a singer. So Kalani, who was a top singer of Hawaiian, hapa-haole songs and pop standards in Honolulu in earlier years, went in with his guitar during business hours and started singing to show management his stuff. The crowd gave him much applause. Manager Ron Panzo, who formerly worked at Honolulu's Red Vest, walked over and put $50 in the tip bowl and said, “;Don't stop. You just got paid. Can you start tomorrow?”; Kalani, at 72 years old, is now singing two nights a week at Lulu's…

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Brickwood Galuteria was another island entertainer that came into my focus last week. Now a state senator whose district includes Waikiki, the legislator was having lunch at Stage with two execs from Trump Hotel, managing director Scott Ingwers and sales and marketing chief John Votis. I told Scott the Trump I would like to meet was Ivanka, The Donald's gorgeous daughter. ... At another Stage table that day were Prince Resorts exec Akemi Kurokawa and attorney Alan Goda ...

Singer Iwalani Kahalewai was given a sendoff for musical royalty Wednesday at Star of the Sea. She died Aug. 4 at age 75 of cancer. Iwalani started singing as a youngster and had been part of the Puamana trio the past 10 years with calabash nieces Mihana Souza and Aima McManus almost to the end. She sang with the Royal Hawaiian Band and the band performed at the memorial. She sang on “;Hawaii Calls”; with Nina Kealiiwahamana and also sang in the late Alfred Apaka's show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Nina and Jeff Teves organized the tribute at which many local stars performed. Besides, Puamana, Nina and Jeff, some of others included Melveen Leed, Gary Aiko, Marlene Sai, Hiram and Casey Olsen, Ethylene Teves, Paahana and Luana McKinney with Puamana ...

Richard Vida, Charlotte Kandel and Kika Matsumoto were at Lisa Josephsohn's bedside when she died at home Thursday evening of peritoneal cancer. Lisa, 60, was an excellent, accurate publicist and public relations specialist who put up a valiant fight against cancer but it was too much to beat. Kika took care of Lisa's beloved cats when she was unable to do so ...

ONWARD: One of the models at Waikiki Tiffany's new keys collection party Aug. 14 was appropriately named Tiffany Hilton. She said it is her real name. “;The keys is our newest collection,”; said Tiffany Hawaii boss John Geppert. The keys and chains, in different sizes and lengths, are sold separately and come in silver, gold, white gold and platinum. They are priced from $100 for silver and up to $5,000 for the gold and platinum keys with diamonds. John can get you more expensive keys and chains if you wish. Besides Tiffany, the other models were Melissa Sekigawa, Karen Kuniyuki and Natsuko Nobeyama. Chai's catered for the party and he was there ...

Tickets have been reduced for the Norah Jones concert Sept. 4 at the Sheraton Waikiki. The concert is part of the Hawaii Writers Conference. Tickets will now start at $125. That includes a $25 Friends of the Hawaii Writers Foundation membership fee for the first ticket. Call 739-5500 for tickets or check out hawaiiwriters.org ...