Hula, music enliven pa‘ina for Hawaiian Air hostesses

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 25, 2011

~~<p>HULA REIGNED supreme Saturday at the annual reunion of Koa‘e Kea, the organization of retired Hawaiian Airlines hostesses who flew in the 1940s and ’50s. The love and warmth that flowed at the dinner party was overwhelming. Some 145 people attended the bash at the Ala Moana Hotel’s Garden Lanai room.</p>
<p>Babes Bell got things rolling by blowing his conch shell. Featured during the evening were hula stars Queenie Ventura Dowsett; Beverly Noa; Greta Hegerfeldt; Kanoe “Tootsie” Cazimero; Babes’ wife, Alma; Koa‘e Kea president Vivian Bell Luning and her daughter Kanani Estrada; Leilani Kupahu-Marino; Reynette Miller and Debbie Nakanelua-Richards. Debbie and Reynette wore striking holoku. The hostesses often danced on the HAL propeller DC-3 planes in the old days. Many of those retirees were called up to dance by big-time emcee Hale Kaohu Rowland, also a fine hula dancer. They were backed by the beautiful Hawaiian and hapa-haole sounds of two trios, Naluho‘e — Vicky Hollinger, Kawika McGuire and Joe Recca — and Pa‘ahana — Doug Tolentino, Pakala Fernandes and Kaipo Kukahiko. Joe and Kaipo are also hula dancers and drew much applause for dancing as well.</p>
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HULA REIGNED supreme Saturday at the annual reunion of Koa‘e Kea, the organization of retired Hawaiian Airlines hostesses who flew in the 1940s and ’50s. The love and warmth that flowed at the dinner party was overwhelming. Some 145 people attended the bash at the Ala Moana Hotel’s Garden Lanai room.

Babes Bell got things rolling by blowing his conch shell. Featured during the evening were hula stars Queenie Ventura Dowsett; Beverly Noa; Greta Hegerfeldt; Kanoe “Tootsie” Cazimero; Babes’ wife, Alma; Koa‘e Kea president Vivian Bell Luning and her daughter Kanani Estrada; Leilani Kupahu-Marino; Reynette Miller and Debbie Nakanelua-Richards. Debbie and Reynette wore striking holoku. The hostesses often danced on the HAL propeller DC-3 planes in the old days. Many of those retirees were called up to dance by big-time emcee Hale Kaohu Rowland, also a fine hula dancer. They were backed by the beautiful Hawaiian and hapa-haole sounds of two trios, Naluho‘e — Vicky Hollinger, Kawika McGuire and Joe Recca — and Pa‘ahana — Doug Tolentino, Pakala Fernandes and Kaipo Kukahiko. Joe and Kaipo are also hula dancers and drew much applause for dancing as well. Login for more...