Late comic duo Reycards
had loyal fans

Answer: The Reycards -- Philippine-born singer/comedians Rey Ramirez and Ricardo "Ricky" Castro -- played Honolulu several times in the late 1970s and early '80s. Strong singers with a knack for comedy, the Reycards' ability to combine the two quickly earned the self-styled "Kings of Comedy" a loyal local following.

Ramirez died in August 1997. Castro, known to many in the Philippines as Carding, died in November 2003.

"They were very dedicated (entertainers)," producer Frances Kirk said.

The Reycards' most memorable engagements in Waikiki were at the On Stage Showroom in the Outrigger East Hotel in 1978 and 1979. The duo's 1979 album, "Besame Mucho," produced by Kirk and Ernie Freeman for release on Silvercloud Records, captured the breadth of their repertoire. "Angelitos Negroes," "Sometimes When We Touch" and the title song showed what they could do as serious vocalists. "Papa Oom Mow Mow," a longtime personal favorite, and "Ah So, Disco!" an original by Kirk Freeman written for the album, offered glimpses of their comic capabilities.

The partnership began in 1953 when Ramirez and Castro won a singing contest in Manila. They coined the name the following year, entertained in the Philippines through the '50s, moved to Las Vegas in the '60s and toured extensively for the next two decades.

"They would come down one hour beforehand and prepare all their props and everything," Kirk said. "Very few acts do that and then go out and greet the customers. They were really a special pair."