Week of Friday, December 6, 2019 | Vol. 7, No. 49
Check da Scene
Grinds & Da Kines For Your Weekend
‘JUST ME SHARING MY HEART’
Na Hoku-winning Hawaii rapper Thomas Iannucci releases new album BILL BULEY TGIFR!DAY
T
homas Iannucci was “The Illtalian” when his album, “Makana,” won the Best Hip Hop Album category at the 41st Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in 2018. So, he knows about musical success. He also knows to follow his heart. With his second album, “Kuleana,” he’s back to being Thomas Iannucci. The results? “By far, the best work I’ve ever done. It just came so naturally,” he said. Kuleana is a series of songs through which the 27-year-old Kauai man expresses his feelings and thoughts, how he views the world around him.
“I’m telling things I see through my lens,” he said. “It’s just me sharing my heart.” And to do that, he had to be authentic. “I’m Thomas Iannucci,” he said. “If I make these statements, I want to make them as myself, not hiding behind a persona.” Executive produced by veteran hip hop emcee and producer J. Crum, “Kuleana” sees Iannucci return to his roots. It follows the successful release of his acclaimed new music video, “ILLYINDÉ.” It was all recorded at his home. “‘Kuleana’ is a return to form for me,” said Iannucci. “I get to rap on the boom bap, Golden Era beats that made me fall in Charles Samuel / Special to TGIFR!DAY
SEE HEART, PAGE 2
Kauai musician Thomas Iannucci appears on the cover of his latest release, “Kuleana.”
HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY!
Holiday songs by Kapaa Middle School’s Ukulele Band!
SATURDAYS 9:30am –1pm
On the Kaua‘i Community College Campus
Moloaa Bay Coffee & Chocolate featuring Holiday Treats!
This Saturday Only!
From Farmers Market to Farm Fair The Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Supports Agriculture
2 | TGIFR!DAY | Friday, December 6, 2019
LET’S BUNGALOW IN THE JUNGLE-O
in an open-air safari vehicle through the plantation. JESSICA ELSE The two-hour tour starts TGIFR!DAY at a little shack opposite the Koloa Rum Company tasting ast the rows of longan and citrus trees, pineap- room, where a tour guide and ple plants and spans of a driver welcome passengers to a truck with about 12 seats turmeric is a muddy, bumpy road that leads to a bungalow in the open air. Guides point out plants deep in the Kauai jungle. as the tour bounces along Nestled in a Shangri-Lathrough thick mud, passing like valley of leafy vines and under canopies of banana tropical flowers, the bungatrees and through endless low overlooks a little stream and is where Kilohana’s latest orchards of mango and other fruits. tour takes guests to taste The tour also provides a Kauai-made rum. little history of the area, detailBefore you get to the ising the story of the collective land-inspired cocktails on the that started Kilohana Plantanew Kauai Rum Safari tour tion and how it’s evolved into at Kilohana, you take a drive
P
Heart Continued from Page 1
love with hip hop in the first place, and I get to rap about Hawaii, my home.” “Kuleana” is available online wherever music is streamed or sold. It carries nine original tracks, all written by Iannucci. As he wrote from the heart, the music and words came quickly and it came together in about three months. “I’ve never, never made a project
Cocktails, Kilohana history part of two-hour Kauai Rum Safari tour
the historic plantation estate it is today. The tour zig-zags around the path of the Kauai Plantation Railway train tours, and brings guests by the same farm animals as does the train tour — a little herd of goats, a donkey and a big herd of wild pigs in all shapes and sizes. Guests get a couple slices of bread, and the safari truck drives through the field, passengers flinging food from all sides. That triggers a minor stampede and farm animals who run alongside the truck, trying to snag a snack before their counterparts. It’s not the
this fast before,” he said. “It was flowing really well.” Iannucci knows about the pressures of having multiple jobs to keep the bills paid. He works at Kauai Community College and as a manager at Pietro’s Pizza Kauai in Harbor Mall. Finding time for music isn’t easy, but it’s his passion. He said it’s been refreshing to get back to the basics of music and not worry about the awards, keeping up with social media or appearances, “any of that stuff.”
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Bill Buley | bbuley@thegardenisland.com | 245-0457 ADVERTISING: displayads@thegardenisland.com | 245-0425 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: tgiclassified@thegardenisland.com | 246-0325
Jessica Else / TGIFR!DAY
Leone Solurson and Kai Kinzie follow one of their guests down the boardwalk to the first bunSEE BUNGALOW, PAGE 3 galow and rum tasting on the Kauai Rum Safari tour at Kilohana in Puhi.
“It was just me, Crum, and some music that was near and dear to my heart. I look forward to others finally getting to hear my music, because this is without a doubt the best music I’ve done to date,” he said. “Kuleana” deals with growing up in Hawaii, and the struggles, pitfalls and pain that are present, but usually unspoken, Iannucci said. Drug addiction, suicide, the tensions of having to work multiple jobs, the high cost of living, while struggling to survive in Hawaii, are all tackled in Iannucci’s new project. One of the songs is “My Way.” “I wanted to start a conversation about some things I’ve seen
growing up that never really get addressed,” said Iannucci. “It hurts my heart to see my friends, family and community struggling alone. We aren’t alone — we have Jesus, and we have each other. But if we never reach out — if we never even acknowledge that there’s a problem, how can we progress?” Another song on his new album is “Take Me Back,” which he described as a wistful, positive and happy look at the old days. Others take on more difficult subjects. “Fly Away,” performed with his sister, singer and musician Dondi Iannucci, is about a girl Thomas knew who committed suicide. “I’m definitely touching on local
issues through my lens,” he said. Iannucci himself struggled when he was younger to express himself. It’s still not easy, and it’s one of the reasons his music is so important. His hope with this album is that he can at least bring to light some of the issues people are facing here. He wants to “start some important conversations that need to be had.” “It’s not healthy to not know why you feel the way you feel,” he said. “We just need to talk about it and get it in the open.” ••• Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.-
Interested in hosting your HOLIDAY PARTY at Ho‘okipa Cafe?
Call Us to Reserve Your Party Today!
Open daily for lunch & pupus til sunset Located at the Puakea Golf Course
4150 Nuhou Street • Lihue, HI • 808-246-4555 Managed by: Aloha Golf Group
TGIFR!DAY | Friday, December 6, 2019 | 3 FRIDAY
‘NIGHT OF CHAMBER MUSIC’ SATURDAY AT KCC TOP PICKS FOR World-class musicians also visit schools
CHRISTMAS PARADE 6 p.m., Rice Street and Historic County Building The Lights on Rice celebration has floats, music, more.
THE WEEK
SATURDAY
CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL 3 to 6 p.m., Breath of Life church, Rice Shopping Center, Lihue Food, games for kids.
BILL BULEY TGIFR!DAY
K
auai Concert Association presents the 5th Night of Chamber Music with Ensemble Henrietta at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center. Curated by Kauai pianist Monica Chung, this event will be a collaboration of musicians from Kauai, Oahu, New York and Boston, including special guest Iggy Jang, concertmaster of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. The evening will conclude with Ensemble Henrietta as a chamber orchestra, performing Ernest Bloch’s “Concerto Grosso No.1 for String Orchestra and Piano Obligate.” Chung said the concert will feature some of the world’s finest musicians, and will include some surprise numbers. “I’m super-excited to bring a chamber orchestra to Kauai,” she said.
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only time these animals are fed during the day, but they act like it. When it comes to rum, the safari starts guests off straight out the gate with a taste test that stacks four or five different rums back to back. Guides explain the
Courtesy Kauai Concert Association
Some performers in 5th Night of Chamber Music with Ensemble Henrietta at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center visited Kilauea School Tuesday. From left are Marc Szammer, Kaycee Parker, Monica Chung, Drew Ricciardi and Justin Kantor.
Invited musicians also visit schools while they are here as part of the KCA’s educational outreach. Tuesday, they stopped at Kilauea and Eleele schools, where they performed a few songs and talked to students about music. “A lot of these kids are not going to have the resources to be able to go out and see a concert of this caliber,” Chung said. The students loved it, and responded with enthusiasm and questions, and some showed a flair for music.
“I think they surprised us more than we surprised them,” Chung said. The Night of Chamber Music is designed for all to enjoy, not just lovers of classical music. Chung said an underlying theme of the concert is “about the support of the community and the way we are all able to be there for each other and support each other through the hard times.” Tickets are $30 for adults, $10 for students. Buy them at www.kauai-concert.org.
process to make each type while they dole out samples of their original and flavored rums. Then, they combine those into a signature mai tai. The mood in the bungalow turns from demonstration to cocktail hour as soon as the drinks are served and guests are allowed to linger, enjoying the jungle atmosphere. As soon as everyone’s ready, the tour continues
until the safari truck reaches destination number two: the lo‘i bungalow. Surrounded by taro patches, this picturesque bungalow is situated near the train tracks and is a relaxing spot to enjoy a snack and the tour’s second round of cocktails. Kauai Rum Safari is a great way to get to know a bit of the history of the island, and enjoy some of the unique tastes Kauai has to offer.
Shops, Restaurants & Services at Ching Young Village: Activity Shack
Hanalei River Healing
Na Pali Properties
Aloha from Hanalei
Hanalei Surf Backdoor
Northside Grill
Aloha Juice Bar
Hanalei Strings
Ohana Shop
Alo La‘a Yoga & Dance
Honua Engineering
On the Road to Hanalei
Big Save
Hot Rocket
Pat’s Taqueria
Billabong
Hula Moon Gifts of Hanalei
Pedal and Paddle
Blue Tiki Tattoo
Infinite Arts
Reside Kauai LLC
Chocolat Hanalei
Jo-Jo Shave Ice
Seahorse Boutique
DeCamp Construction
Kalypso Restaurant
Spinning Dolphin
Divine Planet
Kauai Vacation Rentals
Styles Studio Hanalei
Chicken in a Barrel BBQ
Kokonut Kids
Sunrise Emporium
Hanalei Bay Pizzeria
L&L Hawaiian BBQ
Timeshare Resales
Hanalei Cafe
Lee Acupuncture
Tresor Rare
Hanalei Poke
Na Pali Catamaran
Village Snack & Bakery
You’ll find us in the Heart of Hanalei... Jane F. Abramo
PRINCIPAL BROKER
808-639-3773 P.O. Box 475, Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii 96714 Bus: 808-826-7272 • Fax: 808-826-7665 jane@napaliprop.com • napaliprop.com
4 | TGIFR!DAY | Friday, December 6, 2019
CHECK DA SCENE
DENNIS FUJIMOTO TGIFR!DAY
Jhanalei Sales, Isabella Roberts
BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS!
A Laeshia Peeren, Honey Girl, Keeva Celebrado
Naiya Pulido, Ocean Pulido, Elise Pulido
You’ll find us in the Heart of Hanalei... Jane F. Abramo
PRINCIPAL BROKER
808-639-3773 P.O. Box 475, Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii 96714 Bus: 808-826-7272 • Fax: 808-826-7665 jane@napaliprop.com • napaliprop.com
Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (American and Mexican Cuisine)
ida Kawamura was the winner of the Las Vegas trip giveaway, the first person following a list of people who did not respond in the rain-soaked, windy area of the Kukui Grove Center during the shopping center’s launch into the holiday season. Among the rules of the contest, sponsored by Kukui Grove Center, The Garden Island and Midweek newspapers, you had to be present to win. Thousands of people, not counting those who were involved in post-Thanksgiving sales, turned out to watch the first of three holiday parades — the 26th Kauai Christmas Parade — that saw Santa make his yearly appearance aboard an all-terrain vehicle flanked by the support crew of Santa’s House. Performers with the Aloha Dance Studio brightened the blustery night with their special guest appearance at the premiere of the mall’s Holiday Lights Spectacular that will run nightly starting Dec. 12.
Sarah Manuel, Ki‘ilani Arruda
Happy Hour Daily 2 - 5 p.m. In addition to Authentic Mexican Cuisine, our menu also features Omelettes, Pancakes, Club and Santa Fe Sandwiches and as well as Vegetarian Burger.
www.mariachishawaii.com Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Daily (Friday and Saturday til 10 p.m. at Harbor Mall location)
Kapaa 4-1387 Kuhio Hwy.
Lihue Harbor Mall, 3501 Rice St.
808-822-1612
808-246-1570
Kai Palama, Aries Labanon
Serena Valdez, Ana Munoz, Norie Munoz, Mama Teresa Barbachano