The Buzz

Mixing it up

Art meets music once again as photographer Hesham opens his doors (186 N. King St., second floor) to a night of many sensory perceptions. Among the featured artists will be Angela, Josef, Akasha, Kenneth Brimmer, Nice One, Reasonworks, AF Crew and Hesham himself. DJs turning the tables will be Positive Regime, Sovern-T, A2Z and Monkey. Quadraphonix is the featured band, with guests Ray on sax and Killawatz Da Mongoose. It's a happening thing from 6 p.m. today. Admission is $5. 371-4543.

All about flamenco

Flamenco specialist and choreographer Clara Ramona is heading for Honolulu to offer a series of workshops at Chaminade University. This is Ramona's third visit to the island — her last appearance was in a January 2000 concert at Diamond Head Theatre. Ramona, who has her own dance studio in Madrid, Spain, began dance training at age 5 in her native Philippines and continued in the United States with the Boston Ballet and the Boston Conservatory of Music. The hour-long workshops begin at 7 p.m. (beginner/elementary) and 8 p.m. (elementary/intermediate) Tuesday through April 5, in room Hale Aloha A101. Cost is $25 for a single class, $20 per class for four or more classes; $5 discount for Chaminade students. 732-7603.

Eggs and things

Easter's almost here: It's time to reflect on themes of redemption, sacrifice ... and the Easter Bunny. Among the secular events of the holiday:

• Comic Frank DeLima will headline an Easter Brunch Show at the Wisteria Restaurant, 1206 S. King St., 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $20 general, $10 for youths 5-11, free for children 4 and younger; on sale at the Wisteria. Admission includes a buffet brunch and the DeLima performance. 591-9276.
• Learn to take care of your furry pals at "Bunny Talks," 10 a.m.-4 p.m. today and Saturday, Ala Moana Center, mall level near Center Court. It's free, with live bunnies, sponsored by the Hawaii All Breed Rabbit Club. 946-2811.
• Hope Chapel Honolulu's annual Easter Egg Hunt, with storytelling, video and prizes, begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Kuhio School. It's free. 955-0525.
• The Cayetanos open up the governor's residence, Washington Place, for an egg hunt, magic tricks, tours and more from 11 a.m. Sunday. It's free, but donations to the Hawaii Food Bank are welcome. 586-0034.

• Community parks will host free Easter activities, too:

• Easter Egg Hunt and Costume Contest, 9 a.m. Saturday at 'Ewa Beach Community Park.
• Easter Bash and Egg Hunt, 9 a.m. Saturday at Makakilo Community Park.

It's a jazz thing

Aaron Aranita's band Eastbound takes you on a jazz journey at the next KIPO Jazz Night, beginning at 8 p.m. Monday at Kapono's, Aloha Tower Marketplace. Eastbound is composed of Aranita, above, on saxophone and flute; Winston Raval, piano; John Kolivas, bass; Peter Factora, drums; and Gail Mack, Ace Thomson and Vergel Jepas, vocals. And we know Monday is April 1, but this is no joke: Admission is free. 955-8821.

Master of the bass

Francois Rabbath, acknowledged around the world as the master of the double bass, performs at 4 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a Honolulu Symphony Orchestra concert series. He will be featured on the world premiere of Frank Proto's virtuosic new composition for solo bass and orchestra, "Nine Variants on Paganini." The program climaxes the Hawaii Contrabass Festival, a gathering of double-bass students and teachers paying tribute to the biggest fiddle in orchestral and jazz fields, which has been under way this week. Rabbath, a native of Syria, has provided bass accompaniment to a string of musical artists over the years, including Jacque Brel, Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Becaud and Michel Legrand. Tickets are $15-$55. 792-2000.

That special day

Planning a wedding? A host of wedding professionals will gather for your consideration at "An Intimate Wedding Affair," 2-9 p.m. today in the Grand Salon of the Sheraton Moana Surfrider. Admission is free. Where to park? It's $2, validated, across the street at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel. 931-4524.

Are you ready to rock?

Quintessentials, Grapefruit, Generic, Tweaked, Fever Boner, Hello McFly, and Ho Braus will get you in the rocking mood at Pink Cadillac, 478 Ena Road, in a concert celebrating the seventh anniversary of Hawaiian Express. If that's not enough to get you revved up, free CDs will be given to the first 100 fans, and other giveaways are in store. The show starts at 8 p.m. today (doors open at 7:30 p.m.). Tickets are $5. 255-7040.

A dance challenge

Jennifer Butler faces a task that's a bit unusual in a dance piece in "Contemplation," part of the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's "Spring Footholds" concert. The annual showcase features the work of "Contemplation" creator Kathy Arakaki and Michelle Francisco, both undergraduates. Performances begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday through April 6 and 2 p.m. April 7. Tickets are $9 general, $7 non-UH-Manoa students, seniors, military, faculty and staff, $3 UH students. Tickets go on sale Monday. 956-7655. And there's more: Master of Fine Arts candidate Maureen Freehill will present her thesis project, "Kneeling Deeply to Rise," inspired by the events of Sept. 11, after the "Spring Footholds" program Thursday through April 7. Admission is free for those attending "Spring Footholds"; others will be admitted free after "Spring Footholds," based on space availability.

Great achievements

There will be little suspense, but accolades galore, for five recording-industry veterans (four living, one dead) when they receive Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts in a luncheon event from 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Tapa Ballroom of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The honorees are Krash Kealoha, former KCCN deejay and a co-founder of Na Hoku Hanohano Awards; Tom Moffatt, longtime deejay, record producer and show presenter; Noelani Mahoe, veteran musician and recording artist; Nora Keahi Santos, a pioneer recording and performing star; and the late Haunani Kahalewai, a "Hawaii Calls" radio luminary and showroom headliner at the Royal Hawaiian and Kahala Hilton hotels in her heyday. Cocktail reception is from 10:30 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m., program with Melveen Leed, Tony Conjugacion, Moe Keale, Nina Keali'iwahamana, Boyce Rodrigues, Mahi Beamer, Noelani Mahoe and others from 12:30 p.m. The program will be taped and edited for inclusion in the 25th annual Hoku evening May 21 at the Royal Hawaiian's Monarch Room. Tickets are $55. 235-9424.