'Breathe' concert to praise smokeless air

The American Lung Association of Hawaii is bringing together several Hawaii entertainers for a concert to celebrate a controversial new smoking ban. “Passage of the law that prohibits smoking in bars, restaurants, airports, offices and all other public spaces was a milestone in public health,” said association director Jean Evans. “We must protect this pro-health law and focus attention on the necessity to retain and strengthen it during the 2008 legislative session.” The Jan. 12, 2008 concert will be held at Hawaii Theatre and will feature the premiere of “Breathe,” a song written especially for the American Lung Association by Johnson Enos and Kenneth Makuakane.

Tickets are priced from $35 to $125 and can be purchased at the Hawaii Theatre box office (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday), online, and by phone at (808) 528-0506. For more information, contact Jean Evans or Beth-Ann Kozlovich at (808) 537-5966.

The concert’s entertainers, in alphabetical order:

• Jan Brenner: dancer and singer, she’s headlined nightclubs, hosted TV specials and opened concerts for The Beach Boys, Tom Jones and others.
• Rocky Brown: member of the original Broadway Cast of Miss Saigon; successful career both in New York and the Philippines; has performed at Carnegie Hall and featured with the Honolulu Symphony.
• Tony Conjugacion: one of Hawaii’s versatile and talented artists; Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year for his “Hawaiian Passion” album.
• Danny Couch: inger and composer who has won several Na Hoku and Hawaiian Music awards; has performed with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones and many others.
• Diamond Head Theatre Shooting Stars: children’s performing group that has appeared in numerous island venues over the past dozen years.
• Yvonne Elliman: the Hawaii native was cast as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, resulting in instant fame; numerous recordings, including “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”
• Cathy Foy-Mahi: one of Hawaii’s most versatile entertainers; recording artist, concert performer in New York, Hawaii, Japan and Europe; original cast member of Song of Singapore; three-time Po`Okela Award winner for Best Actress in a Musical; New York Outer Critics Circle Award nominee.
• Raiatea Helm: At 23, the Molokai native is heralded as the successor to entertainment greats Aunty Genoa Keawe and Amy Hanaialii Gilliom; won Na Hoku awards as Female Vocalist of the Year and Most Promising Artist for her debut CD when she was 17.
• Ka Hale I o Kahala Halau Hula: Kumu Hula Leimomi Maldonado
• The Rev. Dennis David Kamakahi: Grammy and Na Hoko Awardwinning slack key guitar master, singer and composer.
• Jay Larrin: this Tennessee transplant broke into the Hawaii music scene with his Snows of Mauna Kea, winning him Male Vocalist of the Year and Album Producer of the Year Na Hoku awards.
• Kristian Lei: played lead role in a Miss Saigon production in Germany; stage credits include the Hawaii Opera Theatre production of The King and I; Entertainer of the Year, Filipino Centennial 2006.
• Zanuck Lindsey: Hoku award-winning guitarist for Best Jazz Album in 2000; has performed around the world, from Hawaii to the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Japan, Hong Kong, Europe, Mexico, Russia and more.
• Shari Lynn: veteran of numerous stage musicals, including Gypsy, where she routinely stops the show with “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”
• Shawna Masuda: a 2005 Aiea High School graduate, she’s already starred in Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast and Kismet in local theater.
• Guy Merola: an active member of Hawai`i’s musical community since his arrival in 1980, with leading roles at Diamond Head Theatre and Manoa Valley Theater; featured in Friends and Nabors Christmas Show.
• Angela Morales and daughter Sheldeen Morales: Angela is one-third of Na Hoku-winning Na Leo, Hawaii’s first group to successfully cross the line between “Hawaiian” music and the adult contemporary music format. Sheldeen is following in her mother’s musical footsteps.
• Aaron J. Sala: considered a “mega-talent among young Hawaiian artists;” a vocal arranger and noted for his “Hawaiian swing” piano and his choral arrangements for the Kamehameha Schools Song Contest. Aaron is doing graduate work in ethnomusicology at the University of Hawaii.
• Jordan Segundo: a Top 32 finalist in Season Two of “American Idol”; has performed with The Honolulu Symphony and at the Pro Bowl; played a leading role in the Hawaii Opera Theatre’s production of The King and I.
• Afatia Thompson: a former UH Warrior running back, Afatia mixes songs based on his Christian faith with Polynesian music and soft rap. Winner of 2007 Na Hoku Award for Best R&B Hip Hop Album
• Al Waterson: singer, emcee, actor and recording artist; his background includes performances in Hawaii, the mainland and the Philippines.
• Destination Groove Dance Hawaii: dancers will be the winners of the only televised dance competition program in Hawaii.

Sponsors of “The Breathe Concert” to date include Grace Pacific Corporation; Koga Engineering & Construction; Central Pacific Bank; Drs. Liz Tam and Mark Grattan; Wendy Akita, and Evan Cohen. Media sponsors include the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, KGMB-TV, Oceanic Time Warner Cable and Pacific Edge Magazine. The ALAH is a private 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that was founded on Kauai in 1929; it is the oldest voluntary health organization in Hawaii. The organization’s mission is to prevent lung disease and to promote lung health through research, education, and advocacy.