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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Moanalua tight end
Savai'i Eselu


Moanalua tight end/defensive end Savai'i Eselu played at Aloha Stadium for the first time in last year's O'ahu Interscholastic Association White championship against Radford. It is the same site of the NFL Pro Bowl, where some of the game's greats have left their cleat marks. Yet, Eselu has played at an even more prestigious venue. As a member of Moanalua High's orchestra last year, the upright string bass player can say he has performed on the stage of New York's Carnegie Hall. The 3.9 grade-point-average student has since dropped orchestra this year because of a family decision for him to concentrate on football. He is being highly recruited by Division I programs.


How did it feel to play at Carnegie Hall and which venue to you was more thrilling to play at, Aloha Stadium or Carnegie?


"When we took the stage, you can see the (tiers of) seats. It was pretty massive. When we played it was like we were back at home. But after, when we finished our last piece, we all turned at the same time to show respect to the audience. Whoa. They all stood up. Was pretty nuts. Was like Aloha Stadium.

Carnegie, hands down, is more thrilling because you never really get to experience that kind of environment here. Maybe like Hawai'i Theatre or something, but nothing that grand or marvelous.

(Moanalua orchestra conductor) Mr. (Elden) Seta was talking to us about the reason we were here and all that. That's when (we) started understanding why we're here, how good it is and how much of a prestige it is to be playing at Carnegie Hall. That's where the top-dogs of music would roll. After he was talking to us about that, it was pretty crazy. Like chicken skin."


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