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The Lylas, a four-member Filipino-American girl group comprising sisters of Hawaii popster Bruno Mars, will be the faces of Robinsons Department Store in the Philippines. The longhand name for the quartet is Love You Like a Sister, according to a number of Filipino websites, including the entertainment site ABS-CBN.
By fall the Lylas willhave a debut album.
It’s not clear whether Mars, whose given name is Peter Hernandez Jr., will have a hand in the project.
His sisters are Jaime, Tiara, Tahiti and Presley, whose ethnic mix — Filipino and Puerto Rican — makes them photogenic for modeling and music. Dad is Peter Hernandez Sr., founder of the Love Notes group with whom Bruno performed as Little Elvis as young as age 3.
Over the years, island talent has had a love affair with the Philippines. "American Idol" finalist Jasmine Trias has enjoyed success there and earlier, singer-actor-TV star Martin Nievera earned superstar status; his dad is Roberto Nievera, one-time Society of Seven member.
The Lylas are based in California and will be philanthropists as well, since eldest sister Jaime founded a global charity organization called Mothers About Making Amends (Mama Earth) five years ago. Robinsons will donate funds to the charity through a shopping bag promotion. …
Meanwhile, Mars continues to work on his sophomore album to follow up his award-winning "Doo-Wops and Hooligans" debut CD. Earlier this year he signed a publishing deal with BMG Chrysalis U.S. …
TAKE FIVE: Though CBS has yet to announce a third-season Sunset on the Beach premiere preceding the network’s Sept. 24 launch of "Hawaii Five-0," the Hawaii-Aloha website, which markets island vacations and tours, is peddling a tour package promising "the ultimate Hawaii Five-0 fan experience."
The assumption is that the network will allow Hawaii fans a chance to peek at the first episode of season three before its formal debut. "Come watch the third season premiere from the white sands of Waikiki," says a Web posting.
No date is mentioned. At press time, CBS had not committed to a three-peat. …
Meanwhile, Christine Lahti, who will play Doris McGarrett to Alex O’Loughlin‘s Steve McGarrett in at least four episodes, told TV Guide that Mama McG "faked her own death to protect her family." Oh! …
MOVEMENTS: The clock is ticking for Yasmin Dar, KITV’s morning traffic anchor, who exits the ABC affiliate Thursday. Beginning Aug. 30, Dar will assume an anchorship at KVAL 13 News, the CBS station, in Eugene, Ore. "Eugene is a great place for someone like me who loves the outdoors, and it’s also a second home for a lot of Hawaii residents,"she said. …
Keyboardist Don Conover has left the Church of the Crossroads building after 35 years as music minister. He’s fully a professional entertainer now, with a following at the Hawaii Yacht Club and Bacchus Waikiki. …
SHORTS OF SORTS: Pianist Kit Samson was invited by Linda Adamson, lifestyles director at Kahala Nui, to perform for the retiree residents. "I had a chance to pay tribute to one of my favorite composers, Marvin Hamlisch," said Samson of the award-winning composer, who died last week. Samson played themes from Hamlisch’s "A Chorus Line," "The Sting" and "The Way We Were." "I met him at the Kahala Hilton … a real nice guy who played the jazz standard ‘Time After Time,’" said Samson, who has been invited again to Kahala Nui. …
A lei of aloha to Yona Chock, who directed and produced Pohai Nani’s All-Star Circus for a two-nighter in 2009 — and filled up the auditorium to the max. We erroneously mentioned here last week that Keith Haugen and Frank Uehara were the first to pack the place. …
And that’s "Show Biz." …
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.
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