If you love barbershop, you’ll love O’ahu’s men’s barbershop chorus, Sounds of Aloha, performing its “Love Songs Dinner Cabaret” on Friday, August 26, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Piux X Church in Mānoa. Scan the QR code on the poster below or visit soundsofaloha.org to purchase your tickets in advance online (no ticket sales at the door). Love is in the air!
On August 15, Na Leo Lani sang the Star Spangled Banner and Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī at Ala Moana Hotel as part of the opening ceremony of the 2022 training conference of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs. It was a brisk but enjoyable performance — made even better by our afterglow breakfast at Liliha Bakery.
Na Leo Lani is an inclusive, supportive, fun-loving a cappella chorus comprised of women who share a love of performance and four-part harmony. Based in Honolulu, Hawai’i, we enjoy getting together for our weekly rehearsals as well as occasional performances and special events.
If you like to sing, you are warmly welcome to come participate in one of our rehearsals. The ability to read music is not required – just a love of singing and fun! With a choral repertoire based in the barbershop tradition, Na Leo Lani offers the opportunity to discover your inner diva, or just the joy of harmonizing with women of all walks of life. READ MORE
We rehearse weekly on Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 pm in the social hall annex of the Mo’ili’ili Hongwanji.
Starting on October 19, 2022 our rehearsals will move to Wednesday evenings from 6-9 p.m., EXCEPT the second Thursday of every month. See the complete rehearsal schedule here: https://naleolani.org/upcoming-events/
Mo’ili’ili Hongwanji (a Jodo Buddhist Shinshu Temple)
902 University Avenue
Honolulu, HI
Parking and finding the rehearsal room can be a little confusing, so please let us know in advance that you are coming so we can help guide you. Contact our Membership Chair, Pam Ednie, at naleolanichorus@gmail.com or click our “Join Us” page for maps and details. JOIN US
There is a place for YOU in our chorus!
In the spirit of summer fun, the ladies of Na Leo Lani had a blast in July showing off hidden talents in a members-only mini talent show. Entertainments included impromptu quartets, poignant folk tunes, a dramatic reading, and more. See below for pics of some of the evening’s entertainments.
Our July rehearsals have been full of theme spirit, including a lotta lippy attitude on National Kissing Day, July 7. We were joined by guests and prospective members Chrissy and Kaleo. Welcome, ladies!
Do you like to sing, meet new people, and make new friends? Then join us for a musical night of barbershop at our Na Leo Lani guest night! See flyer below for details.
After months of rehearsals and many challenges along the way, we sailed through our competition recording yesterday with full-throated joy. What a journey it has been!
Thank you so much to our director, Christine Wee; to the Region 12 recording team of Mary Mamer, Donna Prochazka, Randy Sahae, and Joanna Davis, who flew all the way out to Hawai’i for a quick, 48-hour whirlwind of lights, camera, and action; to the men of Sounds of Aloha who volunteered hours of their day to assist with the event; and to our Vice-President, Kristi Dagdagan, who organized an elegant and bounteous Afterglow. Each of you was masterful in your attention to detail, planning, and performance. Our kids, too, rose to the occasion, tirelessly putting in hours of work to set up and clean up the party. The delicious food and beautiful setting of the Afterglow made for the perfect ending to our 2022 contest experience.
Most of all, thank you to our amazing chorus members, who stayed together through two and half long years of Zoom rehearsals, masked rehearsals, and rehearsals in unusual and less than ideal settings. As the lyrics of one of our contest songs goes, “There is a feeling deep in my heart . . . It’s a feeling heavenly!” Uniting in harmony truly is heavenly. Thanks, ladies, for making it happen.
Na Leo Lani was invited in April to sing the Star Spangled Banner and Hawai’i Pono’i at the first annual awards ceremony of the University of Hawai’i’s inaugural Naval ROTC unit. It was an honor to be a part of this special event. Congratulations to all the students, and thank you for the opportunity to sing for you.
As you can tell from the photos, we had a great time warming up before the show:
Putting the “non-aging” in “nonagenarian,” one of our longtime members, Ruth de Mesa, recently celebrated her 90th (!!) birthday, which fell on our regular weekly rehearsal night. A loyal alumna of Roosevelt High School, Ruth didn’t miss a beat when our Birthday Captain, Wally, asked her to sing the Rough Riders’ school song.
Enjoy this video of Ruthie belting out “Ever faithful, ever true; Roosevelt, to thee our song shall be– All Hail! Hail! Hail!” https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3157519444568006&ref=sharing
Recently featured in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Back in the Day” / Archive section was this photo from October 30, 1969 of the Air Fares of California, participating in the Sweet Adelines 23rd annual International Convention and Quartet Competition in Honolulu.
Do you recognize any of the women in this photo? If so, let us know!
The caption reads” The Air Fares from California are among 41 ladies’ barbershop quartets competing for the championship at the Sweet Adelines 23rd annual International Convention and Quartet Competition at the Honolulu International Center.”
Na Leo Lani Chorus 