Club celebrates 20 years in LW with music and merriment

HUI O HULA

On March 15, the Hui O Hula dancers celebrated the group’s 20th anniversary with their families, friends, and the musicians who have supported and played music for the hui throughout the years.

Instructor Jojo Weingart is most grateful for her kumu hula (hula teacher) Valerie Lui Kwan who flew in from Honolulu just for the occasion. Kumu Val gave blessings and commenced the celebration with an oli (chant). The dancers also appreciated the opportunity to understand more about their halau (school) source —the Beamer family’s hula style, history and background.

Worth mentioning is how impressed Clubhouse 1’s custodian Omar Leiva was regarding the transformation of the clubhouse and with the traditional Hawaiian music and dancing. He has never seen any gathering quite like it in his clubhouse.

Mahalo a nui (many thanks) to Susan Cucci and her team as they made the big room colorful and welcoming. Hospitable Libby Bond also “dressed up” the lobby with the same Hawaiian theme.

Kudos also goes to hui friend Mary Slevove, Mutual 5, and Susan Saraf, Mutual 15. With their organizational skills, they led their many helpers and served the refreshments not only in a timely way, but also with smiles and aloha galore.

Words cannot describe how thankful Hui O Hula is to old friends/musicians Carrie Kumabe and Diana Pemstein. They graced the party with their talents and skills as well as making time for other musicians: Auntie Geri Kuhia; pianist Tracy Lum; guitarist Skip Chan and his band H3O Mele; Ron “Aloha” Hom and his better half, Kay; Hana Hou musicians Horacio de Jesus and Gilberto Valdez; and “LW Elvis”, Fortunato Revilla of Mutual 15 who sang “Blue Hawaii” and “Tiny Bubbles.” It is regretful that musician Larry Yamashiro was unable to attend.

Hui O Hul’as 20th party was so fun and memorable that the dancers are looking forward to another gathering in the near future.