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Coconut Wire Fall '97(reprinted from the Fall '97 Newsletter) Busy, busy news from JT & Makalina Gallagher. Makalina's "Hawaiian Express" and JT's "Tiny Bubble Band" are playing frequently throughout the New York Tri-State area. Also, doing some cruise ships this Fall out of New York, and recently a PGA event at the Winged Foot Golf Club with Miss Universe (Hawai'i's own Debbie Lee). AND at the boathouse in Central Park in September. (Whew! Hard to keep up. No wonder we haven't heard from you two lately.) If you live East of the Hudson River and know folks who want some Hawai'i no ka 'oi for an event, call 'em: (718) 768-6182 or e-mail to maka@chelsea.ios.com. Wonderful treat last spring at the Halekulani. Alan's uncle, John Akaka, along with his grandson and granddaughter-in-law came to hear The Islanders. Uncle Johnny, active in the Hawai'i Musicians Association for many years (although he certainly could have retired long ago) upped and joined HSGA! Bo & Betty Bahret took a break from Hawaiian music (they come to Hawai'i for almost every special gig -- and both HSGA conventions) to roll up their sleeves for Habitat for Humanity. Betty got KP duty -- over 900 sandwiches and tons of "rabbit food" each lunchtime. Bo handled Site Security. Bo tells that the 350 people there built houses for ten families in Appalachia in five days! If they just sat a lot during Joliet convention, you know why! Too bad you folks don't play steel -- but then, that might have slowed the work to six days. "Hawaiian style" does NOT hurry. Aloha Joe says he has "Hawaiian Adventure Radio" listeners (on cable TV) "who have to use the pay phone 'up the road' to call in to enter contests! They live in southern Illinois in a trailer and have a satellite dish but no phone! He has folks in Florida who listen to his show on their houseboats, and a girl from Japan called to ask if he was funny. "Said she didn't speak English too well, but she thought I was funny. I told her I was hilarious." Joe's one of HSGA best on-the-air promoters of all our events. Could he possibly be a steel guitar fan? Casey Olsen has gone high muka muk on us, one night a week. He plays at John Dominis Restaurant with Francis Ho'okana on vibes, Sundays during the 4-7 hour. Kid's got class .. or expensive tastes. Got many phone calls and notes in August about the great picture of Kanoe Miller dancing with Alan and "The Islanders" at the Halekulani on the front cover of HAWAI'I Magazine (August issue). I've also learned that a few California folks are canceling their Aloha Magazine subscriptions and subscribing to HAWAI'I instead. Yes! While it's a bi-monthly, rather than a monthly, the upbeat features and colorful photos are in-depth Hawaiian -- not just tourist tales. John Berger writes excellent music features. Lots of cover-to-cover goodies in this magazine, if you get starved for Hawai'i from time to time. Sells on newsstands and in bookstores, too. Please direct your prayers to Ivan Sinclair and his wife Lorraine, who suffered a stroke after a serious bout with pneumonia, and has been paralyzed on the left side for most of this year. Bless, her, she's determined to "beat this thing" with therapy. Ivan's days are have been filled with care giving; he hasn't had much time to play his steel -- too tired, "but I do wave at it as I go by". Strength, endurance, and God Bless you both. We'll be listening for your sweet steel, Ivan. (You can send cards and letters to RR #2, Belleville, ON K8N 4Z2, Canada. New singing star at the Halekulani "House Without A Key" early this summer. Senator Danny Akaka, home in Hawai'i from DC on a visit, joined the "Islanders" on stage to sing his favorite song "Old Plantation". What a great voice -- he missed his calling, or rather the voters' call for him to serve Hawai'i in the US Congress was stronger. Henry Allen is teaching steel guitar to youngsters at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center on Saturdays, free, and text books and steel guitars are provided for them. Sherron Allen says they're having a good turn out. Way to go, Henry. 
HSGA * HAWAIIAN
STEEL GUITAR ASSOCIATION Homepage URL: www.hsga.org (hsga@lava.net) Last updated: 07/23/02 by Gerald Ross (gbross@umich.edu) |