Olomana shares its connections

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Olomana members Haunani Apoliona, with guitar, and, from left, Wally Suenaga, Willy Paikuli and Jerry Santos take a turn tonight in the Hawai'i Theatre's Hana Hou series. The performance will include hula and a "parade of people sharing their music." Olomana 8 p.m. tonight Hawai'i Theatre $30 528-0506

"I think they ran out of people to ask (to perform)," he said with a modicum of modesty.

Santos ultimately decided on connections — how we all link a specific song with a particular person, a precise time or a special moment.

"We will address a recurring theme — the idea that many of the songs we do are family songs; songs that have stories that go with them; songs that have become special because they remind us of places we are attached to, people who are special, particularly in our circle," said Santos.

So expect an expansive circle of friends and a nostalgic cycle of songs.

"Tracie (Farias Lopez) has been dancing with us for a while now," Santos said of the former Miss Aloha Hula of the Merrie Monarch Festival, and now a mama of two. "She will dance 'My Yellow Ginger Lei' with us because that was one of my mother's favorite songs."

You couldn't do the tune and only ask the dancer; after all, the dancer's mother, Karen Keawehawai'i, has made the song, by her late father John Keawehawai'i, one of her signatures.

"So Karen will be joining us, too," said Santos.

Of course, an Olomana performance can tap a different performing crew. Santos is always there, but three other regulars come whenever they can: singer-guitarist Haunani Apoliona, Willy Paikuli and Wally Suenaga. On occasion, musician-friend Ryan Tang sits in, too.

"All four of us will be on stage," said Santos of Olomana's full contingent.

For years now, Santos and his gang have been performing Fridays and Saturdays at the Paradise Lounge of the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Rainbow Tower. Santos also does solo gigs Sundays and Mondays at Chai's Island Bistro at Aloha Tower Marketplace.

"Whenever we perform, there's always a parade of people sharing their music," he said.

The Hawai'i Theatre gig will reflect that kind of give-and-take, though it's a bit more formal. Still, an impromptu hula from the house would not be surprising.

His cast taps myriad songsters and dancers who have had history with Olomana.

Those include dancer Peter Rockford Espiritu of the Tau Dance Theatre, who will perform his classic "E Ku'u Home O Kahalu'u" dance — which is hugely hula-inspired, as originally choreographed by the late Earnest Morgan — for the first time in the company of Santos and Olomana.

"People like 'Ala (Leina'ala Kalama Heine) used to tell me, 'I've seen this guy, it's not hula, but it's fabulous,' " Santos said of the Espiritu trademark.

There are sundry other connections, some announceable, others wrapped up as surprises.

Suffice it to say that there will be appearances — linked to songs associated with Olomana — by kinfolk or halau of Auntie Kaui Zuttermeister and Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, and musician Mark Yim.

"We've been at Hilton for so long, we watch different generations of performers pass through," Santos said of the parade of entertainers to grace a casual Friday and Saturday at the Waikiki hotel.

And, he said, the solo gig at Chai's enables him to do non-Hawaiian things "and play my own music."

He admitted that a new CD by Olomana is long overdue.

"Our last album was in 1992; we have a standard joke that there's a new album every 10 years. There isn't a lack of resources; I think it's got to do with age. The body's getting older; the forward momentum is slowing down. What's weird is that if you wait long enough, the radio starts playing your stuff again. Our music's on the radio again, like it's brand new."