aloha

On the flight back to Portland, the only music that would rise above the din of such a cramped and crowded plane was that of PARADISE. Over and over again, the Hukilau song played in my head, scrabbling my brain until I began to hallucinate Don Ho himself. And as I left the islands of Hawaii, I sung one souvenir that would be eternally mine..."Oh we're going to a hukilau. A huki-, huki-, huki-, huki-, huki, hukilau..." Now I'm certainly no Don Ho, but pretty soon I had the whole back of the pane-rows 13-24- singing along! "We throw our nets out into the sea and all the alma alma come'a swimin' to me..." Once the flight attendants added in hand movements and hulaed down the aisles, it was a real luau. Originally written by Jack Owens in 1948, the Hukilau Song became a popular hit when Hawaii's own singing sensation, Don Ho covered the track circa 1962. Ho went on to record for Reprise Records winning over many tropicals hearts with such hits as "Tinny Bubbles" and "Pearly Shells." Today many, myself included, give a big mahalo to Ho and Owens for such happy Hawaiian music.