Q: Robi Kahakalau is one of my favorite vocalists. Can you tell me more about her? Is she planning to make a new album?

A: One of the most gifted songbirds we know, Robi Kahakalau is a third-generation Hawaiian musician. Her grandfather moved to Boston in the early 20th century and taught `ukelele and guitar. Kahakalau's father, a brilliant jazz bassist, played with Stan Getz, Benny Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey – as Bob Carter. "With [a name like] Kahakalau, there was no way he was gonna get any gigs!" she chuckles.

Sistah Robi was born in Germany and lived there for her first eighteen years. "When I heard Makaha Sons and Olomana in Germany, I was just blown away! I said 'Okay, that's my kind of music.'" In 1980, she came to the Aloha State. She studied Hawai`ian (she speaks SEVEN languages!) and taught at UH until a few semesters ago. In her spare time, she explored local music. In 1990, she joined the wildly popular Hawaiian Style Band as featured vocalist.

Her debut solo album "Sistah Robi" won her Na Hoku Hanohano awards in 1995 for Best Island Contemporary Album and Best Female Vocalist. In 1997, she released "Keiki O Ka 'Aina", with original songs in English, Hawai`ian and Tahitian; last year brought "All I Want", with more of the same, plus covers of tunes from the Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Roy Orbison, and Stevie Nicks. Her sister Ku writes much of her material.

Kahakalau herself is the mastermind behind her albums - she selects and arranges songs and chooses her own musicians. She'll begin work on the fourth one in July and hopes to include a song or two of her own composition. "It's gonna be the same mixed plate again. Some people say it should be all reggae, others say it should be all Hawai`ian. What feels good to me, that's what I want to do." She adds an extra juicy bit of information: "I might, for my next CD, get together for one or two songs with Bryan [Kessler] and Wade [Cambern] from Hawaiian Style Band." Can't wait, Sistah Robi!

Many of Hawai`i's best-loved artists have sought Kahakalau for recordings and performances, including Keali`i Reichel, the Makaha Sons, Fiji, and Jesse Rivera. In December, she went to Japan with Big Mountain. On April 7th, she will appear at a concert in San Francisco with Amy Gilliom and Darlene Ahuna. Additionally, she's been working on collaborations with the new Tahitian artist Tapuari`i. They've devised a modern version of the HSB hit "Love and Honesty", and she's returning to Tahiti in May to record two new songs for his forthcoming album.

She's charming, disarmingly candid, and her laugh is spontaneous and surfaces frequently in her conversations. Though Kahakalau has never been married; she's waiting patiently for Mr. Right. "My Hawai`ian name is Keahonui, which means 'patience'. Some people say they can't be happy alone. But if you can't be happy alone, then a partner isn't gonna make you happy either. I'd rather be alone than with the wrong guy."

Once a month, Sistah Robi goes to the Big Island to do workshops with kids at the Hawai`ian charter school launched by Ku Kahakalau. At home in Kulio`o near Hanauma Bay, she has a spoiled dog named Kama`ehu who visits the beach with her several times a week. Also, she likes to work outside in her yard. "That sounds so old fuddy-duddy!" she giggles. "But if it's your yard, it's fun!"

Q: Jack Lord died in 1998, but whatever happened to James MacArthur, who played sidekick Danny Williams ("Book 'em, Danno!") on "Hawaii 5-0"?

A: The adopted son of actress Helen Hayes and writer Charles MacArthur, James MacArthur appeared in over a dozen films (remember him in The Swiss Family Robinson from Disney?) before settling into his role as Danny Williams on the longest continuous-running police series in television history. "Hawaii 5-0" aired from September 1968 to April 1980, and was shot almost entirely on location on O`ahu. MacArthur played Danno for 11 of those 12 years.

He has two children (a son, Charles, and a daughter, Mary) from his first marriage to actress Joyce Boulifant; his second marriage, to Melody Patterson, produced no offspring. Now 63, MacArthur lives in Palm Desert, CA with his third wife, H.B. Duntz, a former professional golfer, and their 16-year-old son Jamie. In his later years, MacArthur got involved with the publishing industry. He had part-ownership in the Daily Californian, a San Diego newspaper, and he also owned and published Senior World, a magazine with a monthly circulation of 500,000; he tapped his Hollywood connections to contribute regular articles about entertainers. A few years ago he sold his interest in the magazine and is now living off his investments. Occasionally, he attends cast reunions and conventions.

Q: One of my favorite performers is Weldon Kekauoha. I saw him in last year's "Pili Mau" concert. Singing with him was the most fantastic falsetto singer and bass player. Who is he and where can I hear him perform?

A: We caught up with Weldon Kekauoha, and he agrees: "Keao is a natural. He sings falsetto effortlessly – smooth as a baby's bottom, all the time!" From Kekauoha, that's quite a compliment – after all, he's no slouch himself when it comes to the challenging vocal style known in Hawai`ian as leo ki'eki'e.

Keao Costa grew up on O`ahu, in the Papakulea area of Punchbowl. His wonderful debut album, Whee-Ha! Hawaiian Falsetto Stylings Of Keao, was released in 1997 on the much-respected Mountain Apple label; Costa received a Na Hoku Hanohano nomination for Most Promising Artist the following year. He also won the Farden Family award for his `auana musical performance with Honolulu's Halau O Na Pua Kukui at the World Invitational Hula Festival that year.

Da Palapalai Patch, with Costa's background falsetto, can be heard on Kaona, a 1999 Olinda Road release from Big Island artist Akoni Malacas. The Palapalai gang now performs as Na Palapalai, a trio consisting of Costa on `ukelele, the lovely Kehau Tamure on bass, and Kuana Torres on guitar; all three contribute lovely falsetto vocals. Costa's trio appears once a week at Rainbows Lounge in Kalihi (call 845-2102 for details), and he's currently looking for material for a new CD. He frequently performs as an opening act for the Brothers Cazimero. According to Kekauoha, Costa will also sing with several halau at this year's Merrie Monarch.

Additionally, Costa and Kekauoha have a standing gig four nights a week with Kawika Trask; look for them between 6-8PM each Wednesday through Saturday at the Ilikai's poolside lounge. The trio plays traditional Hawai`ian and hapa haole tunes. Trask and Costa – and sometimes Kekauoha, when his work schedule permits – also perform on the Navatek's lunchtime cruise during the day.

Kekauoha says he enjoys working with his young friend. "Keao sounds really seasoned and mature – but he's no more than 23 or 24 years old," he remarks. "He knows a lot of the old songs, and it's a joy to play with him."

Another bit of news: Kekauoha, who was last year's winner of the Hoku award for Most Promising Artist, has some new recordings in the pipeline! He's working hard on a solo project – his second – and he hopes to finish it by August. He's also busy with a new CD with Mana`o Company that he expects will be done in June. Both will appear on Robert Kekaula's A Guava Ding Thing label.

Q: I was so disappointed to hear that former Hawai`i resident Bette Midler's television show was canceled. Any insights about the reason for the cancellation? Where can I send my letter of protest?

A: Though Midler's show won fans (as made evident by her People's Choice award for Best Actress of the Year in a New Series), it ran in a tough Wednesday 8PM time slot -- against "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" and "Titans", NBC's Aaron Spelling soap-- and was struggling in the ratings, despite a strong premiere. But it seemed odd that the show was canceled just two weeks after producers replaced Kevin Dunn, the actor who played her husband, with Robert Hays (remember him from "Airplane"?).

In the weeks before the cancellation, she complained publicly about the rigors involved in making the show, so perhaps she's relieved by the abrupt end of her television experience. Still, many of her fans are trying to save the show. The more creative Betteheads are sending single red roses (silk ones or real ones) to CBS studios in LA, with notes attached that read "Save Our Bette" (S.O.B). If you're hot to appeal to the network execs, send your S.O.B. rose to:

Her early school years weren't pleasant: she was constantly teased because of her looks, her family's poverty, and simply because she was often the only haole in her classes. Her breasts started to develop far in advance of those of her classmates, which gave her fellow students another reason to harass her. For a time, her parents, a bit out of touch with reality, even refused to buy her a bra!

Midler's life changed when she entered Radford High School, where the school body was racially more diverse. In her junior year, she blossomed: she became a member of the National Honor Society and the school's Regents Club. In her senior year, Midler was class president, active in school plays and variety shows, and valedictorian of the class of 1963.

After graduating, she moved out of her house, mostly to be away from her domineering father, and began to study drama at UH. For a time, she worked in a pineapple cannery. "I was the chief chunker," she once said in an interview. "I used to come home smelling like compote!" In the spring of 1965, Midler's best friend, Beth Ellen Childers, was killed in an auto accident; Midler was devastated.

In April of that year, shooting for the film Hawai`i began on O`ahu. Midler was hired to appear as an extra, and actually had a bit speaking role as one of the missionary wives, but those lines were cut from the final version. In her only scene in the film, she's bending over the ship's railing, pretending to be seasick.

When the film crew left Hawai`i to finish shooting the film in Hollywood, Midler and nine other natives were asked to help with the film's completion. Bette realized that the money she would earn would help her break into the entertainment industry. In November 1965, Bette left Hawai`i for Los Angeles. After filming was completed, Bette moved to New York City to try her luck at show biz, following in the footsteps of Bette Davis, for whom she was named. The rest, as they say, is history.

Q: Hey IS, I remember listening to a local group years ago called "Wayward". Are they still playing?

A: Tragically, Wayward is no more. Their 1997 demo was never released, according to Ben Henry, talented former lead singer for the band. Henry tells us that George Sanqui (lead guitar) is now a guitarist for Lo$e Money (a popular local power punk band); Kim Robinson (bass) is in Sacramento, going to school and jamming with a couple bands; Ben Ignacio (drums) played guitar in a cover band for a while but is currently making music for Jesus in a church band.

As for Henry, he's taken on a new persona: Root Evil, the power behind a band he calls The Monneygrabbers. He's writing songs and handling all instruments and vocals on the demo recordings. "I hope to release something more sophisticated in about a year with the entire band," he says. "In a year, give or take a decade..."

When will The Moneygrabbers make their public debut? Sounds like they're gonna live up to the promise of their moniker. "It all depends on when and where we can make the most money. Screw that artistic integrity crap -- it's all about the benjamins, baby."

Download a huge (3MB) MP3 of an entire Wayward song at www.themonneygrabbers.com.

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