On October 21, Na Leo Lani joined with members of Honolulu Blend Show Chorus and men from Sounds of Aloha to celebrate World Singing Day.
Following a picnic and talk story time, we circled up and sang. The gorgeous surroundings of Kapiolani Park and Diamond Head were especially inspiring as we harmonized tunes we knew in common and new songs we learned on the spot.
Special thanks to HBSC director, Stephanie Brictson, for organizing this event, as well as to NLL members who attended: Jojo, Anna, Yvonne, Charley, Deb, Summer, Rosie and Chris, and dual NLL and HSBC members Yvonne and Charley.
We love harmonizing with all of you!
Beautiful music in a beautiful settingDirectors Chris and StephanieBarbershop harmony in harmony with nature!
It’s almost that time of year again when the malls are decked out in poinsettias and we find ourselves crooning along with Bing Crosby, Mariah Carey (and Wham!?!) about Christmas days of old. If you love putting the “Mele” in “Mele Kalikimaka” (you know you do!), then Na Leo Lani’s “Sing with Us for the Holidays” (“SWUFTH”!) is for you!
Returning this year for another memorable season of song, SWUFTH 2023 is a ten-week program for women and women-identifying singers, age 14 and up, of all vocal talents and ranges.
WHEN?Wednesdays, 6:00 – 7:30 pm, October 11 – December 20 (December rehearsals may extend a bit longer)
WHERE?Mo’ili’ili Hongwanji, 902 University Avenue, Honolulu. Click HERE for map and parking details.
WHAT & HOW MUCH? $30.00 (Includes sheet music and learning tracks for three songs and two singalongs, plus weekly rehearsals & participation in our holiday performances in December.)
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Email naleolanichorus@gmail.com or simply come to one of our weekly rehearsals.
For general info about Na Leo Lani chorus, see our Join Us and Who We Are webpages.
Whether you are an old hand at choral music or have only ever sung in the shower, we invite you to embrace the spirit of the season and experience the delights of four-part a cappella barbershop harmony for the holidays.
“SWUFTH” 2023 starts October 11. Come join the fun!
Join us on Saturday, July 8 at 3:00 p.m. for a free concert featuring Na Leo Lani chorus and the singers in our Amazing Summer Program, and stay for our open mic event where YOU can show off your own amazing talents!
Where: Mo’ili’ili Hongwanji, 902 University Ave., Honolulu
When: Saturday, July 8, 2023. Doors open at 2:40 p.m. Concert at 3:00. Open mic 3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Pre-register for the open microphone event at:https://tinyurl.com/NLLOpenMic or scan the QR code below. The mic is limited to ten acts, so sign up now!
Suggested donation for open mic participation: $10 (cash calabash at the microphone).
Open mic performer guidelines:A cappella or with accompaniment. Bring your own instrument(s) / equipment. There will be a Bluetooth speaker available if you wish to use it. One song per person/group. Other types of talent (slam poetry, magic tricks, tap dance, tell jokes, and more!) are welcome, but please keep lyrics and language family-friendly and in good taste.
We can’t wait to sing for you and see you strut your stuff!
Our very own Rosie Ramiro, longtime Na Leo Lani member and chorus volunteer, was recently recognized by the AARP for her contributions to the chorus and many other causes. In addition to serving as Leads section leader and stints on the NLL Board, Rosie uses her creative talents to make costume accessories that keep us looking festive, floral, and fantastic. When the pandemic began, she turned her sewing skills to making hundreds of face masks for frontline workers. In honor of Rosie’s boundless generosity and energy, fellow chorus member Noel Eto thoughtfully nominated her for the Andrus Award, which recognizes “outstanding individuals age 50 and older who are sharing their experience, talents and skills to enrich the lives of others.”
See excerpts from Noel’s nomination, below. And for the latest on Rosie’s volunteer work, see this Star Advertiser article on the new Acopan Garden at the Manoa Heritage Center — a project close to her heart.
Rosie with her Certificate of Appreciation: “Rosie is a shining example of empowering people to choose how they live as they age.”
Nomination highlights:
“During the 2020-2021 COVID 19 pandemic lockdown, Rosie has personally sewn and donated over 1,500 face masks to Lanakila Clinic and hundreds of surgical caps, wheelchair bags and lap blankets for Kuakini Hospital. Rosie was nominated and received an award from Hawaii National Bank’s “Hometown Heroes” for her generous mask donations.
“Rosie also became a volunteer assistant to the ukulele instructor at Lanakila Senior Center, after taking the classes herself.
“Rosie has been a member of NaLeo Lani chorus (NLL), the Hawaii chapter of Sweet Adelines International (SAI), a women’s a cappella group for nearly twenty years. During that time she’s served voluntarily on the Board of Directors.
“For NLL, Rosie is the Lead section leader and the lead singer in NLL’s premier quartet, Friends (and sews costumes for them, too). Rosie prints and delivers sheet music to homebound (and not so technical) chorus members. She keeps in touch and visits with members now in care homes. She also donates face masks as prizes for games during NLL’s Zoom rehearsal sessions.
“Rosie participated in SAI’s Diversity, Equality and Inclusion project which included reviewing NLL’s 50 songs of their current repertoire. She researched the history, composer and language of each song to insure that there was no trace of racism, sexism or any inadvertent negative message. This is being done worldwide by Sweet Adelines International.”
Rosie has also become an active presence with the Manoa Heritage Center. She recently gave a presentation about Filipinos in Manoa Valley for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and she recorded an oral history of her family in Manoa Valley for Malama Manoa
Na Leo Lani Chorus 