On the Scene

JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARADVERTISER.COM
PCC CELEBRATES 50 YEARS: Alfred Grace, center, president and CEO of the Polynesian Cultural Center, welcomed Michael Chun, left, and his wife, Bina Chun, and Ku‘u­lei and Oswald Stender to the center’s golden-anniversary dinner Sept. 7 in the Hale Ohana open-air longhouse. For more on the celebration, see my report at www.hono­lulu­pulse.com.

JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARADVERTISER.COM
A ROYAL DAY FOR POLO: Hawaii Polo Club President Mike Dailey, center, surveyed the playing field with His Highness Gaj Singh, maharaja of Jodhpur, right, and veteran polo player Vikram Singh Sodhi, after the final match of the day Sept. 8 in Moku­leia. A recent injury prevented Sodhi from riding, but the Indian team beat Hawaii 4-3.

JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARADVERTISER.COM
NA‘AUAO INTRODUCES ‘NA‘AUAO’ AT KANI KA PILA GRILLE: Sean Na‘auao, second from left, talked with fellow entertainers Kuana Torres Kahele, left, Mailani Makainai and Moses “Moke Boy” Kame­aloha III while others performed at the CD release party for his new album, “Na‘auao,” Sept. 2 at Kani Ka Pila Grille. Kame­aloha was one of the first to play for the SRO crowd; Kahele and Makainai went on later in the evening.

JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARADVERTISER.COM
ABOU-GANIM CONDUCTS VODKA SEMINAR: Tony Abou-Ganim, center, known professionally as the Modern Mixologist, signed a copy of his new book, “Vodka Distilled,” for bar manager Michael Lopez, left, after he conducted “Exploring Vodka & Vodka Based Cocktails,” a seminar presented by the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival on Sept. 7 at Hale­ku­lani. Jim Meehan, right, an accomplished mixologist in his own right, was Abou-Ganim’s assistant and co-host. For more on the seminar, see my report at www.hono­lulu­pulse.com.

JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARADVERTISER.COM
ESTELLE HEADLINES T-GALLERIA PARTY: A private concert by Grammy Award-winner Estelle was the highlight of the evening as DFS Group celebrated the re-branding of its multilevel Waikiki retail center as T-Galleria with a gala red-carpet event Sept. 7. Estelle’s rendition of her signature hit “American Boy” capped the concert.