Aloha kakou!
In today’s newsletter:

• This week on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis - One Right Turn
• 2009 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards
• Hawaiian Music in Redwood City, CA
• Kauai Music Festival
• Hawaiian World Fest West Coast Tour
• Japanese Cultural Fair – Santa Cruz, CA
• Bolo and Walt Keale, CA tour

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This week’s guests on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis are One Right Turn (Imua Garza, former lead singer and founding member of the award-winning band Opihi Pickers; and sisters Tiffa Cruz Garza and Connie Cruz of the band The Girlas).

Imua first appeared professionally at age 11, when his version of the local song "On Fire" was included on the 1996 release Hidden Treasures - Ukulele Stylings 2, which featured Hawaii's most promising ‘ukulele players. He also formed the Opihi Pickers about this time, with his brother and cousin. They released their first CD in 1998, and grew to become one of Hawaii's most popular bands.

Imua is also an accomplished singer/songwriter, arranger, producer, and recording engineer. He has appeared on over a dozen CDs (including 7 with the Opihi Pickers), and he has worked on commercials for radio and TV, and on a film soundtrack. In 2008 he produced the release by Hawaii's new reggae band "Rebel Soljahz," and it became the #3 top-selling reggae album in the U.S. (Rebel Soljahz won an award at last night's Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.)

Tiffa (Cruz) Garza began writing songs at age 8, and began playing guitar when she was 12. With sister Connie Cruz, they recorded and released an album in 2006 with former band "The Girlas and both sisters have made guest appearances on a number of other albums by musicians in Hawai’i. The sisters are part of talented Cruz family – Ernie Cruz is their father, and Ernie Jr. (Ka’au Crater Boys), Guy, and John are their brothers. All have successful music careers.

One Right Turn is neither Opihi Pickers nor the Girlas, Hawaiian nor Jawaiian – theirs is a contemporary sound, filled with a combination of ballads and more up-tempo songs. Their debut release actually consists of four separate CDs – one (Lean On My Shoulder) by the group as a whole, and the other three as works focusing on each of the members as soloists. (Each recording can be purchased separately, or as a 4 disc box set.)

Please join us Thursday June 11 from 6-8 p.m. HST at the Pakele Lounge in the Ala Moana Hotel (410 Atkinson Dr., Honolulu). It’s free, and free parking is available next door at Ala Moana shopping center. Drinks are available for purchase.

You may also watch live online at: http://www.pakelelive.com/
Those in Japan can watch at: http://www.j-wave.co.jp/

(If you watch online, don’t forget to email the show at pakele@lava.net to say hi and let us know you’re watching – and from what part of the world!)
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Ho’omaika’i (congratulations) to all the winners of a 2009 Na Hoku Hanohano Award! If you missed the show last night, you can watch videos of some of the wonderful live performances on the K5 website.

And here is a partial video of an impromptu chant performed by the award-winning Kanaka’ole family, following the acceptance speech by Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole for his “Best Male Vocalist” win (his second award of the evening). The video doesn’t fully relay the power and magic that filled the room during this brief, unexpected performance – suffice to say we ALL had chicken skin! – but it gives you an idea. (It was one of my favorite moments of the night.)

I posted some photos from last night on my webshots (click on a photo to get a larger view). I’ve been unable to post photos in my regular spot (my Facebook page) due to problems with Facebook, so the photos aren’t tagged or labeled at this point. (Others are having similar problems with Facebook, but not everyone… *sigh*)

The awards show will be rebroadcast in its entirety on K5 The Home Team at 10:30 pm HST on Saturday. (Kala mai - I don’t know if the rebroadcast will only be on TV here in Hawai’i, or if it will also be online.

Here is a complete list of winners.
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Lots of great Hawaiian music coming to the Little Fox Theater in Redwood City, CA!

Ledward Kaapana, Aug. 4, 8 pm info
George Kuo, Martin Pahinui, and Aaron Mahi, August 11, 8 pm. info
Willie K August 20, 7:30 pm info.
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Songwriters (or aspiring songwriters) – if you haven’t yet signed up for the 2009 Kauai Music Festival, you need to do it soon! This year’s festival is July 29 through August 1. Info.
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The west coast Hawaiian World Fest tour with Hapa, Ledward Kaapana and John Cruz will visit the following cities:

Monday, July 20 - Seattle, WA 7:00pm Triple Door

Tuesday, July 21 - Roseburg, OR 7:00pm Music on the Half Shell

Wednesday, July 22 - San Diego, CA 7:00pm Humphrey's by the Bay

Thursday, July 23 - Redondo Beach, CA 8:00pm BriXton South Bay

Friday, July 24 - Crystal Bay, NV (Lake Tahoe) 8:00pm Crystal Bay Casino

Saturday-Sunday, July 25-26 - Oakland, CA Two shows nightly: Saturday: 7:30pm and 10pm, Sunday: 7pm and 9:30pm Yoshi's
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There will be a Japanese Cultural Fair on Saturday, June 20 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at Mission Plaza Park in downtown Santa Cruz. Six hours of entertainment, including Taiko Drumming by the Watsonville and San Francisco Taiko Dojos, Bon Odori and Okinawan Dance, an Aikido demonstration, mochi pounding (yum – mochi!), and more. There will also be an array of Japanese foods available for purchase.

Admission is free. Information.
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The date for the Santa Cruz concert and workshops at Bocci’s by Bolo and Walt Keale has been changed to Saturday, August 8. Details are still being finalized, but I will post them here as soon as we have them. The in-store performance at Borders Sacramento is still set for Tuesday, August 4.

We are awaiting final confirmation on additional dates in both Northern and Southern California!
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Pau for now… e malama pono a hui hou!