Shop Until You Drop, Eat until you are Stuffed, and then Chill Out Listening to Native Hawaiian Music

Edited by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady

The best things in life are sometimes free. The beautiful beaches and balmy breezes in Hawaii have enticed tourists for years. But only the natives knew some of the special Hawaiian music and where to hear it.

But now you can find it on Waikiki Beach Walk. And the price is right. Free.

Waikiki Beach Walk(tm) Launches "Music for the Generations" Hawaiian music heritage program

"Na Mele No Na Pua" will include historical exhibits, concert series and cultural programs

In addition to the distinctive shops, gourmet restaurants and buzzing nightlife now available at Waikiki Beach Walk, Outrigger Enterprises Group is also bringing authentic Hawaiian music and history to Waikiki's newest entertainment district.

Waikiki Beach Walk has a new Hawaiian music heritage program, "Na Mele No Na Pua," which figuratively is defined as "Music for the Generations," that will feature two, expansive permanent exhibits highlighting Hawaii's rich musical history, an ongoing monthly Hawaiian music concert series, special educational and cultural events, and interpretive displays - all free and open to the public.

"From the very beginning, when we were still developing our vision of what  would eventually become Waikiki Beach Walk, incorporating the Hawaiian host culture into the project in as many ways as possible, and making it accessible to both visitors and locals, was one of our primary goals," said David Carey, President and CEO of Outrigger Enterprises Group. "With Na Mele
No Na Pua, visitors and the local community can enjoy, celebrate and immerse themselves into the beauty of our islands through a multitude of activities celebrating the past, present, and future of Hawaii's musical heritage."

In collaboration with the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame and the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, which sponsors the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, Waikiki Beach Walk's Na Mele No Na Pua began as an idea to create a "Preservation Hall" for Hawaiian music -- similar to the historic jazz hall in New Orleans. Later this month, it will come to life as a "hall without walls" that
incorporates Hawaiian music and history into the entire Waikiki Beach Walk complex. Na Mele No Na Pua includes the following elements:

Permanent Historical Displays
A 50-foot long, glass-encased timeline of Hawaiian music is being permanently erected along the makai corridor of the Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk Hula Tower. Taking viewers from the days when Polynesians first arrived in Hawaii to the current time, the exhibit shows the evolution of Hawaiian music, its impact on the islands' culture and includes ukuleles and
other artifacts. A second exhibit will pay tribute to Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame musicians, composers, and other honorees. It is currently in development and will be located along the mauka corridor of the Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk that leads from the hotel's porte cochere to the open air plaza of Waikiki Beach Walk.

Live Performances
Beginning Saturday, April 28, Na Mele No Na Pua will present a free monthly concert featuring popular Hawaiian musicians. Hosting the concerts will be TV and Radio personalities Brickwood Galuteria and Kimo Kahoano. The series will kick off with Eddie Kamae and the Sons of Hawaii performing from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. on the Grand Lanai of the Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk. The concert series is produced in association with the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame and the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts. Future concerts will be held on the last Saturday or Sunday of each month with performers to be announced in the coming weeks.

Waikiki Beach Walk Tribute Composition
Hawaiian songwriter Kenneth Makuakane and Hawaiian scholar Keola Donaghy have written a special composition in celebration of Hawaii's musical tradition. The expressive mele (song), to be unveiled in a future concert, is a gift to the keiki of Hawaii. The lyrics tell a story: The music of our people/the songs in you and me/Na Mele No Na Pua/our voice is Hawaii.

Educational Opportunities and Special Events Na Mele No Na Pua will also host ongoing events to preserve, protect and perpetuate Hawaii's music, including CD release parties and CD signings by Hawaiian musicians, ceremonies for artists being recognized by the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame and the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, among other activities. These
events will also be open to both visitors and local residents.

"In the past, Waikiki was the center of all Hawaiian music and entertainment in Hawaii," said Carey. "With the Na Mele No Na Pua Hawaiian music heritage program, Waikiki Beach Walk is at the forefront of bringing back this tradition to Waikiki. As a Hawaii company and a strong proponent of sharing the Hawaiian culture, Outrigger Enterprises Group is excited to launch Na
Mele No Na Pua." 

BEST WAY TO GET TO HAWAII

ATA
1-800-IFLYATA or 1-800-435-9282.
Click, Pick and Save for Le$$ at www.ata.com

BEST WAY TO GET BETWEEN ISLANDS

go! operates 60 flights a day from its Honolulu hub to Lihue, Kahului, Kona, and Hilo.
www.iflygo.com
toll free 1-888-IFLYGO2.

WHERE TO STAY

Embassy Suites Hotel 
Waikiki Beach Walk
 201   Beachwalk  Honolulu, Hi 96815
 (808)921-2345
www.embassysuiteswaikiki.com
For  reservations, travelers can visit the Embassy Suites Hotels Web site at www.embassysuites.com, Or call 1-800-EMBASSY

Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa  
2005 Kalia Road, Honolulu, Hawaii
808-949-4321 or -800-HILTONS
www.HIlton.com

Ala Mona Hotel
Honolulu's Landmark Hotel
410 Atkinson Drive
HONOLULU.   96814
(808) 955 4811 or 1800 3676025
reservations@alamoanahotel.com
www.alamoanahotel.com

Outrigger Waikiki
For reservations or information, call toll free 800-OUTRIGGER
(1-800-688-7444) within the United States, Guam and Canada.
Outrigger's toll-free number is available internationally via AT&T's Direct 800 Service. Elsewhere call direct to 303-369-7777 (long distance charges apply). Or, visit www.outriggerwaikiki.com or e-mail reservations@outrigger.com.

Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa
2424 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu , Hawaii  96815
808-923-1234
Fax:  808-923-7839
www.waikiki.hyatt.com

RESTAURANTS

Golden Dragon
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Inspired food in a gorgeous setting. Always voted a top Hawaiian restaurant

The Colony
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort and Spa
Indulge in the 16 layer chocolate cake.

HOLE IN THE WALLS

Mr. Ojisan
1018 Kapahulu Ave in the Kilohana Square
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
(Kapahulu, Honolulu, Oahu)
808-735-4455
Cuisine Style: Japanese
Restaurant Format: Restaurant & Bar, Sushi
Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2pm; Dinner Mon-Thu 5:30-11pm, Fri & Sat 5:30pm-1am; Sun closed

Hole in the Wall Tour
Matthew Gray
Hawaii Food Tours
CFG {Chief Food Guy}
808.926.FOOD (3663)
http://www.HawaiiFoodTours.com)
Tasty Tours for the Hungry Traveler

BEST SPAS

Outrigger Waikiki Plantation Spa http://www.travellady.com/Issues/August06/3477RooftopRelaxation.htm
Located on top of the hotel, it has top therapists with a Hawaiian touch.
Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach
2335 Kalakaua Avenue, Penthouse Level, Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 926-2880
Toll Free (866) 926-2880
Website: www.waikikiplantationspa.com

Paul Brown's Spa Olakino Salon.
Located at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa (2552 Kalakaua Ave.) It is on the 2nd floor of the hotel and has a spectacular view of Waikiki Beach.
808-924-2121
www.spaolakino.com

Mandara Spa
In the Hilton Hawaiian Village
Very large spa with many choices of treatments.
www.mandaraspa.com

LIMOUSINE SERVICE
Elite Limo Service

About Waikiki Beach Walk(tm)
Outrigger Enterprises Group's Waikiki Beach Walk(tm) is the largest  development project ever to be undertaken in Waikiki. The 8-acre area, bordered by Kalakaua Avenue, Lewers Street, Kalia Road, Beach Walk and Saratoga Road, has been completely rebuilt as a vibrant showcase and gathering place in the new Waikiki. With a total cost of $535 million, it
features an outdoor entertainment plaza, 40 new retailers, six great restaurants, and four hotels. Incorporating a design theme that celebrates Hawaii's voyaging and ocean heritage and takes advantage of the island's cooling trade winds and year-round excellent weather, Waikiki Beach Walk(tm) is the consummate expression of Hawaii today -- a place where people come to
be enlivened with warm hospitality, a rich confluence of cultures, and nature's precious gifts from land and sea. The project's Phase One opened in December 2006. For more information, visit www.waikikibeachwalk.com.

About Outrigger Enterprises Group
Outrigger Enterprises Group is one of the largest and fastest-growing hospitality services companies in the Pacific. Outrigger is a family-owned company with nearly 60 years of hospitality experience and runs a highly-successful, multi-branded line of hotels, condominiums and vacation resort properties, including Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, OHANA Hotels &
Resorts, Outrigger Condominium Collection, Outrigger Resort Club by Fairfield and Embassy Suites Hotel-Waikiki Beach Walk(tm).* Outrigger Enterprises Group also operates and develops hotel properties and hospitality-related retail and real estate opportunities for partners in Hawaii, the Pacific, the mainland USA and Asia. The company's most recent initiative - Waikiki Beach Walk(tm), a $535 million, 8-acre hotel-retail-entertainment complex - is the largest development in the history of Waikiki, and opened in December 2006. For online information, log on at www.outrigger.com.
 *Embassy Suites is a registered trade mark of Hilton Hotels Corporation.