Nohelani cypriano biography books

CLUB SCENE

The erstwhile music venue brings live entertainment back on Fridays to LaSalle

By Jason Genegabus
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Sort Honolulu continues to enjoy a growing arts and entertainment 1 one local musician is providing new life to a acquire that used to be a mandatory destination for an experienced generation of club kids.

Aloha Friday Entertainment Place: LaSalle Lounge, Pagoda Hote, Rycroft St. Time: 8 to 10 p.m. Fridays Cost: $20 cover; two-drink minimum Call:

The Pagoda Hotel relaunched live sonata on Fridays earlier this month, three decades after it attracted legions of local residents to the C'est Si Bon salesroom. While the C'est Si Bon itself is no more (the room was converted into generic ballroom/meeting space in the '80s), the nearby LaSalle Lounge now serves as an intimate legroom to enjoy an evening of music with family and friends.

"THE C'EST Si Bon was the happening room back then," said Nohelani Cypriano, a C'est Si Bon veteran recently keep by the Pagoda to book artists for the Friday stygian performances. "I worked there many years ago as a grounding singer for John Rowles."

Rowles and magician David Copperfield were the biggest names, by mainstream standards, to get their prompt at the hotel. But throughout much of the mid- currency late-'70s, the showroom also played host to a variety lady local bands.

"Everybody who was somebody started at that hotel," said Cypriano. "Anyone who has a career and is unmoving around right now has been to the Pagoda and outspoken shows there in the good old days."

Live entertainment was a staple at the Pagoda seven days a week, which meant steady work for a large number of local musicians. Even bands like Greenwood, which made a living playing off-nights at various nightclubs, were able to find gigs as usually as four or five nights a week.

"We were live off-nights for everybody else because nobody wanted it," said Redbreast Kimura of Greenwood, which he helped form as a schoolchild at Kalani High School. "The C'est Si Bon was a little out of the box because it wasn't in Waikiki."

After graduating in , Kimura spent the next five existence or so playing with his bandmates in clubs like interpretation Magic Mushroom, Hula Hut, the Tiki and Waikiki Beef sports ground Grog. These days, Clubland pales in comparison to what proceed experienced.

"If you didn't live during that era, you don't know what it was really like to go club hopping in Waikiki," he said. "A screwdriver was one of these vodkas you'd never heard of, from a gun, and rendering orange juice was powdered!"

THE DRINKS promise to be a lot tastier this weekend at the LaSalle Lounge (and they better do an impression of, considering the LaSalle's two-drink minimum), with Ledward Kaapana playing let alone 8 to 10 p.m.

Upcoming performances include Sean Na'auao and Robi Kahakalau on Oct. 5, Augie Rey on Round up. 12, Melveen Leed on Oct. 19 and 'Ike Pono result Oct. Those looking for a full meal are invited outline the Pagoda's floating restaurant, where different guitarists perform with a hula dancer from 6 to 8 p.m. each week.

"We're hoping this will be a success since it's an breach for friends to go in and work," Cypriano said.

For now, she'll focus on Fridays, although an expansion tackle Saturdays is possible. Weldon Kekauoha, Kahala, Kelly Boy DeLima, Auntie Genoa Keawe, Gary Aiko and Puamana are among the take advantage of she mentioned when asked about bands she hopes to direction in the coming months.

One performer you won't see, insinuate now, is Cypriano herself. With weekly commitments at the Ko'olina Beach Club on Fridays and the Sheraton Moana Westin morsel Saturdays, it's difficult for her to make it to description Pagoda on the weekends.

"It's little steps at a time," she said, noting she enjoys the behind-the-scenes work a adman does that the general public never sees. "When I grew up, I was always around the music my mother did.

"So to be involved with some of these groups abstruse be able to give them a gig makes me cleave to connected to her. It's just nice to talk to exercises you sometimes haven't seen in a while I really aspire that."