FRIDAY-SUNDAY
>> Jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra slides into the Blue Note Hawaii
Spyro Gyra, perhaps the longest continuously performing jazz fusion band in the USA, comes to Blue Note Hawaii this weekend.
Saxophonist Jay Beckenstein leads the band after co-founding it in the mid-1970s with keyboard player Jeremy Wall. The band got its start in Buffalo, N.Y. After a club owner asked for the band’s name, Beckenstein, fresh out of college with a biology degree, came up with “spirogyra,” a type of algae, but the club owner misspelled it — and the name stuck.
Along with Beckenstein, keyboardist Tom Schuman has also been there since the beginning, and Spyro Gyra has continued to produce albums on a regular basis, earning Grammy nominations as early as 1980 with “Catching the Sun” and as late as 2010 with “Down the Wire.” Bassist Scott Ambush, guitarist Julio Fernandez and drummer Lionel Cordew round out the lineup.
Signature tune “Morning Dance” embodies the band’s fusion style, incorporating Caribbean steel drums, congas, marimba and electric piano with guitar and sax for an upbeat tune. On tour, they’re known for jam-session-like performances that surpass the somewhat laid-back vibe of their recordings.
SPYRO GYRA
Presented by Blue Note Hawaii
>> Where: Outrigger Waikiki
>> When: 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday
>> Cost: $35 to $55
>> 777-4890, bluenote hawaii.com
FRIDAY
>> ‘Beehive’ celebrates the American pop hits of the ’60s
During the 1960s, the American pop charts embraced an incredible diversity of music, from the smooth, written-to-order pop hits of New York’s Brill Building composers to the raw soul of Tina Turner, Diana Ross’s seductive coo to Janis Joplin’s ragged screams.
There were “girl groups” — the Shirelles, the Chiffons and the Shangri-Las, to name three — and unforgettable singers like Brenda Lee, Aretha Franklin and Lesley Gore. The decade had its share of fads and novelty songs, but the emotions and real-life issues addressed in songs like “You Don’t Own Me,” “It’s My Party” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” remain relevant.
Diamond Head Theatre takes a look back at the hits of that golden era with its production of “Beehive.” Director Malindi Fickle sets loose a cast 10 of talented women on a collection of ’60s classics representing the major musical trends of the decade. With a cast that includes high-profile talents Alison Maldonado, Bailey Barnes, Aiko Schick, Vanessa Manuel-Mazzullo and Jody Bill, audiences can anticipate charismatic vocal performances as well as plenty of nostalgia.
The party starts Friday.
— John Berger, Star-Advertiser
“BEEHIVE”
Presented by Diamond Head Theatre
>> Where: 520 Makapuu Avenue
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; also 4 p.m. Sundays, through June 9; also 7:30 p.m. May 23 and 30, 3 p.m. May 25 and 3 p.m. June 1
>> Cost: $15 to $50
>> Info: 733-0274, diamondheadtheatre.com
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
>> Cartoons get cultural at Honolulu Museum film festival
Short animated films are often thought of as being kid stuff, but the Cultural Animation Film Festival brings a broad range of perspectives to the screen. More than two dozen cultural groups from around the globe are represented in the short films, most of them just a few minutes long.
Friday’s opening night is dedicated to films that inspire, and features “Boudica a Norfolk Story,”a film based on the true story of a tribal leader who rebelled against the Romans in the first century A.D. “Boy in the Moon” is based on an Athabaskan legend about a youth entrusted with saving his community; “The Legend of Mataora & Niwareka” tells a story of how art came to the Maori people of New Zealand.
Also screening on Friday are Phoenix Maimiti Valentine’s “Pulelehua,” a two-minute fairytale created from the perspective of a monarch butterfly who is admired by Queen Lili‘uokalani; and “Kai and Honua,” by Kari Noe, a creation story of a sort.
Two programs on Saturday feature two different sets of film. At 4 p.m. Saturday, see films dedicated to true stories, highlighted by “Frida Kahlo, à travers le masque (through the mask),” a 35-minute biopic about the Mexican artist as seen through her paintings. The 7 p.m. screenings reflect diversity, with themes relating to ethnicity, race and groupings in society, such as “Louis,” a film about a child with special needs, and “Les lèvres gercées (Chapped lips),” a 5-minute film about LGBT culture.
Sunday’s bill features family- friendly films, with “Pulehua” and “Kai and the Honu” returning, along with other films featuring young characters.
Each program lasts 60 to 90 minutes. Panel discussions follow the Friday and Saturday shows, with a filmmakers’ meet-and-greet at 6 p.m. Saturday.
CULTURAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 2019
Presented by the Honolulu Museum of Art
>> Where: Honolulu Museum of Art
>> When: 7 p.m. Friday, 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday
>> Cost: $10 to $12 per session
>> Info: 532-6097, honolulumuseum.org
SUNDAY
>> Entertainment lights up Japanese-style race
Honolulu Ekiden, the combination marathon and concert, brings team-sport camaraderie and music to Kapiolani Park on Sunday.
Ekiden is the Japanese term for a popular form of race in Japan, in which teams of relay runners combine their efforts to run 26.2 miles, the distance of a marathon. This year, individuals will be allowed to run the race, too. If you’re a regular at the Honolulu Marathon, this might be an interesting race for you: the ocean-view Ekiden course goes from Kapiolani Park to Sandy Beach, in contrast to the Marathon’s Hawaii-Kai to Chinatown route. Makai lanes along the route will be closed to traffic on a rolling basis during the morning hours.
With the race beginning very early in the morning to beat the heat, non-runners can also enjoy the Ekiden by taking in a morning concert at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand, which serves to greet race finishers. This year’s program begins at 8:05 a.m. with the venerable Brother Noland, followed by ukulele-guitar duo Na‘ehu at 8:35 a.m. and singer-songwriter Shawn Garnett at 9:05. The charming girl uke duo Tegan and Kaylen appears at 9:35 a.m. and Halau Hula Kawai‘ulaokala is on at 10.
With Ekiden being an international event, Japanese performers Osaka-Syunkasyuto and Idol College will take the stage at 11:40 a.m., following the awards ceremony. Osaka-Syunkasyuto is an all-girl rock band from Osaka featuring the vocalist Maina. Idol College is a group of young singers who use their performances as a training ground for singing contests.
7TH ANNUAL HONOLULU EKIDEN
>> Where: Kapiolani Park Bandstand
>> When: Race, 5:30 a.m. (11:30 a.m. cutoff); music, 8 a.m.
>> Cost: $70 per person for team entry relay racing (2-6 members); individual runners, $119; concert free
>> Info: hnlekiden.org
For additional events, visit staradvertiser.com/calendar.
