Posted on: Friday, June 1, 2001

Hawai'i's top stars so down to earth

By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Staff Writer

You know how sometimes you watch an entertainment awards ceremony on TV and you end up with all your bubbles burst and illusions shattered? I was bracing for that Tuesday night.

But the Na Hoku Hano-hano awards were just the opposite: bigger, better, more puakenikeni-er than you could imagine.

It was real. Real talent, real music, and real appreciation for Hawai'i's music makers.

Of course, much of my Hoku experience was colored by the stroke of luck that had me seated at the same table as Marlene Sai, Melveen Leed and Kealoha Kalama. You don't get much more real than the three grand ladies of Hawaiian entertainment. They talked about coming to grips with their blossoming kupuna status in the industry, how they didn't feel like old-timers.

But since they were, they wanted all the perks.

"Eh, give us our lifetime achievement awards now! No wait till we dead!" That started a whole riff.

"Yeah, and I like the radio stations play my music now, not on the day I die," Melveen said.

Kealoha pointed an elegant hula finger in my direction. "You write that down!" she commanded. I did.

Later in the evening, Melveen and Kealoha paid tribute to the late Myra English with a chicken-skin on chicken-skin performance of Nani Kaua'i. It was the real deal.

The acceptance speeches were refreshingly genuine as far as awards ceremonies go. Among the best:

"I'd like to thank my bosses for letting me take off for tonight."

"Thank you to my Mom for staying home to watch my kids."

"I'd like to thank my parents, because without them, I wouldn't be here." To this, Melveen, Marlene and Kealoha shot back, "No kidding!"

Then there was the group Maunalua, who brought the house down with performance with Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Leina'ala Haili.

Moments after Maunalua received the Hoku for Hawaiian Album of the Year, I was introduced to group member Bruce Spencer, who, in true local-boy style, put his Hoku down on the table to give me a proper howzit hug and said, "Eh! You no remember me? We met one time before. I work airport!" The man had just won a Hoku. I had to smile.

Later in the evening, I watched Spencer's wife, Patti, as the winner was announced for Group of the Year. Maunalua was nominated, but 'Ale'a got the Hoku. Still, Patti cheered wildly, saying, "Right on! The guy's father is my sister-in-law's brother. I love them!"

How real is that?

I guess what struck me about the event was that up close, so many of the people we call stars shone just as brightly as you'd imagine, not only in talent, but in humility.