Media: Watch and Listen
Three good reasons to tune in this month.
| ON TELEVISION: In honor of the yearlong Filipino Centennial Celebration, KHON channel 2 will air Mabuhay with Aloha—The Hawai‘i Filipino Experience 1906-2006, a two-hour documentary in two parts on June 28 and 29, both at 9 p.m. Over the past two years, producer Emme Tomimbang—who partnered with director Lisa Altieri and writer Pepi Nieva—has conducted 150 interviews for the special, which includes photos and film clips dating back to the early 1900s. The first night examines the first 50 years of Filipinos in Hawai‘i, starting with the arrival of the sakadas (plantation workers) in 1906. The second night continues with the next 50 years and beyond, looking to the future of Hawai‘i’s third-largest ethnic group. www.filipinosinhawaii.org. |
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| A new documentary examines the struggles and achievements of Filipinos in Hawai‘i. photo: courtesy of Emme Tomimbang and Angel Ramos |
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ON TELEVISION: Hawai‘i may get a lot of air time on TV these days, but it’s still rare to see a wholly local production make it into our living rooms. That changes this month when True Love and Mimosa Tea airs Tuesday, June 6 at 8 p.m. on KHNL channel 8. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Pearl Harbor), Elizabeth Lindsey (Byrds of Paradise) and Tamlyn Tomita (Joy Luck Club) star in this blend of romance and mysticism, in which a man risks the dangers of brewing potentially poisonous mimosa tea to bring two young lovers together.
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| photo: courtesy of Tradewinds Production |
The story was originally written by Joey Char for the HONOLULU Magazine/Starbucks Coffee Hawai‘i Fiction Contest. Big Island resident Cam Eason adapted it for the screen (it debuted at last fall’s Hawai‘i International Film Festival). It is the third of our fiction contest stories to be adapted and televised by TradeWinds Production; a tip of the hat to producer Dana Hankins for steadily giving these stories new life.
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| photo: courtesy of The Mountain Apple Company |
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IN STORES: In June 2004, we published “The 50 Greatest Hawai‘i Albums of All Time” to celebrate the distinct music of the Islands. We were thrilled when The Mountain Apple Co. soon after created a CD with songs chosen from among those 50 albums. Apparently, music lovers were just as excited as we were—that CD became one of the five best-selling Hawai‘i albums in 2005.
Thanks to the great response, Mountain Apple will release The 50 Great Hawai‘i Music Albums of All Time, Volume II. The compilation’s 11 tracks include classic and contemporary favorites—from Alfred Apaka’s rendition of “The Hawaiian Wedding Song” and Lena Machado’s “Ho‘onanea” to Cecilio and Kapono’s “Friends” and Ka‘au Crater Boys’ “Tropical Hawaiian Day.” Available later this month for $16.99 in most major music stores and at www.mountainapplecompany.com.
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