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Wood Craft
Don Ho's Island Grill was packed Wednesday Ho draws big
birthday crowdnight and Don rewarded the crowd with a taste of what put him on the road to fame at Duke Kahanamoku's in the 1960s. The party marked Don's 70th birthday and was carried by K5-TV and KINE-Radio, with Brickwood Galuteria and Frank B. Shaner. The grill's Barry Silverman, David Nagaishi and
Henry Ayau had their hands full seating the overflow crowd. Besides singing old favorites, Don had daughter, Hoku, 19, sing a duet with him. Hoku, on her way to national stardom, is a 1999 La Pietra grad.
Laurie Breeden Callies of Baby Face Productions, a former La Pietra official and graduate, remembers when Hoku as a sixth-grader would sat on the steps of her office and sing. Laurie, extremely impressed, told her she would go places. How true ... Faith Lathrop, one of the eatery's top waitresses, yesterday moved to Dixie Grill as a manager ...
Free slack key fest tomorrow
Leonard Kwan's death Monday was a major loss for those of us who love slack key music. He is sure to be remembered in the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival tomorrow, 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel's Coconut Grove; no admission charge. As long as younger people keep following in the footsteps of Kwan, Gabby Pahinui and Sonny Chillingworth, the art form will live. Among the younger slack key guitarists-singers of note are Bobby Moderow and Makana, whose real name is Matt Swalinkavich. Bobby leads Maunalua. The trio released a CD entitled "Maunalua" recently. Bobby, Kahi Kaonohi and Bruce Spencer have a lively Sunday evening session at Roy's in Hawaii Kai. Guests step up to sing or dance hula at these crowd-pleasers. Maunalua and makana, as well as other top slack key guitarist-singers, will perform in tomorrow's festival ...Nalani Choy, Lehua Kalima and Angela Morales, who make up Na Leo, again show they have the right stuff with their latest CD, "A Pocket Full of Paradise." "You've got a Friend"/"Lean on Me," "Sugar Cane Shack" and "With a Little Help From My Friends" are among my favorites on this one. Their sound just keeps getting better ... Ciao Mein in the Hyatt marks its ninth birthday next Saturday. The Chinese-Italian eatery's G.M. Vital Demonti, hostess Mai Tai Sing, hotel G.M. Paul Tang and executive chef Jeff Wind are inviting guests to the birthday party. Cathy Foy will sing ...
"The Replacements," a film about a pro football franchise trying to field a team of strikebreakers during a players' walkout, has little to do with the the kind of football played in the National Football League. But with Keanu Reeves as quarterback and Gene Hackman as coach, the winning ingredients are there, despite a well-worn sports film format. This is fun, not football. It's a kick to watch Hackman's team of misfits in action, both on and off the field ...
Honors for Heftel, Moffatt
Cecil Heftel and Tom Moffatt will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards in the March of Dimes inaugural Iolani Awards Friday, 5:30 p.m., in the Royal Hawaiian's Monarch Room. Rodney Villanueva and Brook Lee are hosts for the black-tie event. Presenters include Jimmy Borges, Don Ho, Karen Keawehawaii and John Rampage. Hula Joe and the Hut Jumpers, Kanilau, Ilona Irvine, Norm, and the FM 100 All Star Band will entertain. The awards recognize outstanding leadership in the TV and radio broadcast industries. Tickets for dinner are $75 or $25 for two glasses of wine. Call 973-2155 ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets
of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of
people, places and things every Saturday.
E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com