Solo artist Cruz gets his second wind

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Staff Writer

Singer/multi-instrumentalist Ernie Cruz Jr. picked up two Na Hoku Hanohano awards for his debut solo disc "Portraits." Cruz, whose awards were for Island Contemporary Album of the Year and male Vocalist of the Year, will perform Saturday at the Tiny Celebration at the Waikiki Shell. Tiny Celebration With Ernie Cruz Jr., Yvonne Elliman, Sista Robi, Mana'o Company, Justin, Vaihi, Disguyz, Tani Lynn, Lehua, Soulfree, Robert & Tiera Kekaula, Sean Na'auao, Ilona Irvine, Dita Holyfield, Ellsworth Simeona, Jeff Rasmussen, Reign, Kata's Bridge Boys, Believe, Namahana, Jan Brenner, Halau of New Hope 6 p.m. Saturday Waikiki Shell $12-$20 526-4400 Also: $3 ticket discount available with coupon from aroundhawaii.com. Post-concert party at Eastside Grill, with Soulfree and Justin

When we first meet, the singer/multi-instrumentalist shyly offers honest commentary about it being "cool" and about being "grateful," but realizing and knowing that "it's just a moment." Chat with him a bit longer, though — an easy thing to do with the talkative and ebullient Cruz, made especially uncomplicated over a Zippy's Portuguese sausage and eggs breakfast — and you get the real story.

Cruz is giving up some time Saturday to perform at Tiny Celebration, a three-hour music fest organized by his friend and Sony Handi-cam voyeur/Tiny TV host Tiny Tadani. The concert's acts also include Sista Robi, Mana'o Company, Sean Na'auao, Vaihi and the just-added Yvonne Elliman, among others.

"He's just a good guy," Cruz says of Tadani. "He hustles and works hard. And on that thought alone, I admire him. He makes things happen. Palolo people are like that, you know." Our waitress, a former classmate of Cruz, stops by the table to give us some flatware.

"Then they move to 'Ewa, mo bettah," says Cruz, joking with her about where he last heard she was living.

"I'm a Wai'anae girl!" she corrects, before the two catch up with each other's respective family lives for a bit. Turns out she now lives in Makiki, while Cruz lives in Papakolea with his grandmother, mother and brother (and former Col—n member) Guy. Another musical brother, John Cruz, recently became a father.

Finishing their chat, Cruz is guided back to the recent memory of his surprise Na Hoku wins. He picked up two awards for his long-in-the-making debut solo disc "Portraits" — Island Contemporary Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.

"I thought maybe I had a chance for Contemporary Album, but the Male Vocalist thing kind of blew me away," admits Cruz, squeezing ketchup and Tabasco over his Portuguese sausage. "First of all, because there were a lot of guys that I sort of admired, too, in the category that are powerful singers."

Among his co-nominees in the category were Fiji, Willie K, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and Sean Na'auao.

"And then just before Aunty Genoa (Keawe) presented the award, I seen her walking out," says Cruz. "And joking to my friends on the table, I said, 'Eh, my grandma called Aunty Genoa, and the vote is rigged! I get 'um! I get 'um!' You know, jokingly. When she called my name I was shocked, 'cause it was really just a joke."

The seven years it took to create "Portraits" saw Cruz through the 1997 dissolution of his longtime Ka'au Crater Boys' musical partnership with Troy Fernandez, and four years of "few and far between" gigs as a struggling solo artist. Cruz says the first after-effect of the Hoku wins has been some name recognition, apart from the popular Ka'au.

"Ever since the band split up, people who call me up for a gig ask, 'Can I use formerly of Ka'au Crater Boys?' ... you know, kind of trying to hype that up," says Cruz, insisting he understands why. "The thing I'm most grateful about with Na Hoku Hanohano night was what I took away from it. I kind of won my name back."

Though Ka'au's split was amicable at the time, don't expect a reunion concert.

"I'm happy doin' what I'm doin', man," says Cruz, scooping up the last of his scrambled eggs. "I'm grateful that people recognize the work we did back then, but there are too many opportunities, and not just because of this Hoku thing."

Among these are a couple of new album projects (including an all slack-key disc), more solo gigs and even the occasional performance with Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom, whom Cruz discovered last year was his calabash cousin; the two have since become close.

"I think our great-grandmothers might be cousins or sisters," says Cruz, laughing. "I don't know. We're still trying to figure it out."