Saturday, February 4, 2006, Ilikai Hotel....Be There....

Just spoke to our bandleader Robin Kimura and it looks like Aura, formerly known as the Nomads is very, very interested in being a part of the second installment of the "70s Nightclub Reunion" next February, 2006. Aura in the glory days of the Point After in the Hawaiian Regent Hotel was perhaps the best of the best of Hawaii's night club bands. The band was comprised basically of the Mendoza family from my hometown Waipahu with the exception of trumpet player Adney and sax player Bill Popaka. The word is that the band will try to bring back most if not all of the original members for this event. That means sisters Chris and Bev would front the band, the horn section of Mike, Cliff and possibly Bill Popaka would be there with the rest of the Mendoza brothers manning the rhythm section. In their heyday this band was hot, hot, hot!!!! Tight rhythm section, tight horns and being siblings very tight vocal harmonies. This family was the Waipahu version of that famous family out of Utah, the Osmonds, except that this family was full of hot soul and funk.


COURTESY OF THE MENDOZAS
The Mendozas were part of the Nomads in the '70s. Beverly (center, left) and Christine are surrounded by, clockwise from left, Bill Popaka, Clifton and Michael Mendoza. Adney Atabay, Albert Chaco, Brian Mendoza, Randy Amantiad, and Del and Dennis Mendoza.


With this news it looks like a gang buster lineup for February 4, 2006. Greenwood would open up, the New Experience who later became the Krush would follow, Van de Guzman and his band Phase VII would be next followed by Power Point, and closing out would be Aura.

Some things of note:

The New Experience are trying to get some of the other original members to be a part of the reunion, former members who were such an integral part of the band in the 70s such as Butchie Canencia, Mackie and Wade who currently live on the mainland.

Power Point's original guitarist/singer Brian Aoyagi, currently co-owner of Goodguys Music on Kapahulu Boulevard is slated to be a part of next year's reunion and the band is trying to get trumpet player Robert Woosley, saxman Wayne DeSilva.

GOODGUYS MUSIC & SOUND, LLC
(808) 732-4663
619 kapahulu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815
http://www.goodguysmusic.com


Phase VII will be comprised of Van de Guzman, currently playing as a one man band in Las Vegas, original keyboardist Hemingway Jasmine and original bass player Eric Kutsen along with Van's brother Mike.

Members of the Kasuals, Guams gift to Hawaii, may make a "casual" appearance with one of the aforementioned bands.

That's it for now, will keep things posted as things come up. So put this date on your calender, Saturday, February 4, 2006 cause it'll be here before you know it. You really don't want to miss this opportunity to re-experience the coolest bands of the 70s. Horn sections? Nearly every band will be filling the Ilikai with the sounds of trumpets and saxophone!! With this powerhouse lineup it's gonna be a real hot "Cool Tropical" night in paradise indeed!!!!

-posted by Cool Tropical Jazz LLC @