Hawaiian Music and Dance
HAOPINAKA
PROUDLY ANNOUNCES:
BOBBY BLACK
"MOONLIGHT IN HAWAII"
An evening of Hawaiian music and hula.
The Backroom, 1984 Bonita Ave, Berkeley, Saturday, March 9, 2019
Doors: 7:30 pm/Showtime: 8:00 pm
$15 adv/$18 door/$10 seniors and students.
Steel Guitar Hall of Famer Bobby Black headlines “Moonlight in Hawaii,” a special evening of Hawaiian steel guitar, hapa-haole classics, and hula dances. Bobby will be playing many of his favorite Hawaiian songs, backed by special guest musicians, singers, and hula dancers, with an opening set by Bay Area Hawaiian band Haopinaka.
Bobby Black is the living legend of West Coast pedal steel guitar. Born in 1934, Bobby's long career spans includes performing and recording with classic country artists (Hank Williams, George Jones, Jim Reeves) through country-rock (Commander Cody, New Riders of the Purple Sage) and the Western Swing revival (Asleep at the Wheel, Lost Weekend).
But Bobby’s other passion is Hawaiian music. As a child, his parents took him to the famous Tonga Room at The Fairmount Hotel in San Francisco, where he saw the legendary Sol K. Bright on steel guitar, and he was hooked. Bobby went on to perform with many icons of Hawaiian music, including Cyril Pahinui, Genoa Keawe, Dennis Kamakahi, Jerry Byrd, Richard Ho’opi’i, Benny Kalama, and George Kahumoku. In 2012, he released a fine album of Hawaiian steel guitar instrumentals, “Steel Guitar Paradise.”
Bobby will be backed by Bay Area jazz veterans including Myles Boisen (Tom Waits, Club Foot Orchestra), Tony Marcus (Cheap Suit Serenaders, Laurie Lewis) and others. Special guest vocalists include Sheilani Alix (Sheilani Alix Quartette, Kurt Ribak Trio), Jill Rogers (Crying Time, Imperial Jazz Co.), and Hawaiian music artists Casey and Nadine Vargas.
Opening the show will be Bay Area Hawaiian band Haopinaka (Vanessa Alputila, Sil Castillo, Peter Garellick, and Rod Valdez) who have been performing at Aloha festivals, hula competitions, and hundreds of backyard luaus for over 20 years. The evening will also feature hula performances by Leilani Chow, Kalena Gregory, Casey Vargas, and others.