Shaka Tour

I had to use my airline miles before they expired, so I spent this past Halloween in Los Angeles, hanging with family and having fun. Since I was there, I decided to do some remote interviews for future episodes of Shaka Talk. It was fun, but also a lot of work: scheduling, driving, dragging upp...and now my least favourite part: editing! I did get some good stuff, though, which I think is cute and entertaining. Here's a preview of the episodes I hope to air sometime in early mid 2010.

A.J. Catalano
www.ajcatalano.com

A.J. is a digital artist living in N. Hollywood, purty close to my bf's place, so we spent a lot of time together, and as such, he was my first interview. He grew upp a gay geek in New Orleans, and as a kid AJ became obsessed with TV, as well as collecting & deconstructing things. He turns found things into sculpture, and incorporates mechanical things to make them light upp and move. We talked about everything from Hurricane Katrina to his work on the new Disney movie/remake/sequel TRON. Here we are looking over some of his illustrations inspired by Star Trek that he hopes will be utilized in future productions.



Eric Mathews
www.myspace.com/sebastianheartsjane

My cuzzin Sean was gonna interview his singer/songwriter friend Eric Mathews for me until they found out I was coming to LA, so instead Sean & my auntie Elsa shot the interview while Eric's friend Kyle sat in as co-host. Through some Filipino connection, the new lead singer for Journey heard Eric's music and now he's got a slot opening for Journey in LA sometime in 2010. We talked about girls & songwriting, Filipino food, whether or not he's circumsized, and in the following clip I tricked him into telling me "I love you".



Elsa Almaraz
Star Bulletin Editorial

My auntie Elsi let me interview her in art her studio somewhere in the Pasadena area. She's a spiritual environmentalist who's done everything from painting, music, even has a fountain she constructed on display at Union Station in downtown LA. Along with discussions of her art, Elsi performed a shortened version of a "sound healing" on me. Felt weird. Much of our conversation centered around her late husband Carlos Almaraz, a painter himself, as well as a major figure in the Chicano movement. Carlos was in an activist/artist group called "Los Four" which included the father of Zack de la Rocha from Rage Against the Machine. Through this connection, Zack will be reading some of Carlos's journals, and even his art manifesto, in a film tribute to Carlos. In this video clip, Elsi sings "Garbage", a song she used to sing for me and my brother when we were growing upp. This is the last verse she couldn't remember when we first shot.



Jane Benney
IMDB profile

My final, and kinda rushed, interview was with actress/singer/songwriter Jane Benney. We met in Hawaii while working on my huzzbin Gerard Elmore's feature film "All For Melissa". Now she lives in LA, trying to make it as a performer, and what impressed me the most was not only how she wrote and recorded her new single "Staircases"; but also how she knows that in such a competitive field/city, you have to make things happen for yourself if you're ever gonna get noticed...hence she produced and funded her own music video to the single! Before we spoke on camera, I explained how I sometimes like to get a little racy, even racial, and wondered how she'd take it. Her response? "I'm from Africa. Bring it on!" I didn't get too tacky, but we did talk about 'dung' a lot.

Brown & Down

I wish I had a credit card so I could order Nopoopital. I had to leave the KTUH party tonight to go take a dump. I coulda just went in the men's room behind Bale, but had too many hot drunk 19 year olds, and I didn't wanna cheat on The Girlfriends

Yellow Fever

Frequent readers/viewers may know that our favourite colour is Korean. Apparently, the same can be said for plenny local aunties & cousins, which inspired cutie Brent Anbe to write and produce his latest short film "Ajumma! Are You Krazy???" The story is about 3 women obsessed with a Korean pop star, and their adventures trying to meet him.
I was lucky enough to hang out on the set while they shot at Diamond Head Video in Pearl Kai, and the cast and crew were quite a crack upp! I could totally relate to the characters' fanatical feelings and stalkerly ways.
The first screening at this year's HIFF is totally sold out, and I don't wanna tell you that another date was added until I get my tickets. While you're waiting, check out the movie's trailer:



Busy Brent also recently released on DVD the 2009 Universal Showqueen pageant, so kudos to him and winner Yuni Carey!

2 Wild & Crazy Guys

Damn! I'm a tired old queen. 3 performances in 2 weeks is too much for a reluctant starlet like myself. But it was fun & way worth it. The (mulitple) climax was when my co-hostess Edna Mc Man and I shot Shaka Talk #7 & #8 with our guests Harry Ramos and Otto Cake. Since their episodes won't air until December and January, here's a quick peek at what to look forward to.

I've known Harry Ramos since the late 1980's when we went to Moanalua High School, but didn't become friends till the mid 1990's as co-workers at Jelly's Books & Music when it used to be in Market City. While there I watched his star rise as he became the popular DJ Ska-rry of (R.I.P.) Radio Free Hawaii, and started a wave of poetry nites with his open mic "Expressions". He's back in Hawaii right now after 10 years in NYC, en route to the Philippines. Since he's been gone, Harry's travelled Europe and Thailand alone, and become a poet star on the East Coast as part of the performance duo Two Warriors. He was so cute on our show, unhardened and still humble, despite his success on the mainland. Although our future as fuck-buddies is hindered by the fact that he's no stranger (nor is he queer), he can still bestow uppon me the gift that keeps on giving, the subject of this clip we featured during his interview:



Our second guest of the day was tireless aged cheesey king of cake: Otto Cake. I've known and performed with Otto for about 15 years, and contrary to popular belief, we are not -nor were we ever- dating. I would never: he's old and white! But for someone as far along in years as he is, I do admire his endless energy. Popular not only for his world-famous cheesecake, but also his shameless self-promotion (witness his birthday present to himself ~aka the HUMAs), Otto's done as much for the scene as he has for his own legacy, with panache and pizazz. A hastily taught musician, he's performed in 7 bands (8 if you count his gigs in the titular role of Hedwig & the Angry Inch), touring the mainland & producing everything from cassette tapes, 7" vinyl records, 5 CDs with his prolific band the 86 List, even the following video single from the uber-duper-popular band The Sticklers.

mahalo

I just received the ultimate compliment from a super woman. I don't always say the right things, but right now I'm dumbfounded. Thank you, Christa. For real.

To new readers of Shaka Zine, welcome. I don't write often, so If you're upp Thursday nights at midnight, tune into Olelo.org (to stream it live) or check Channel 52 to watch our show "Shaka Talk". Or just search for it on youtube. Please? It's all about our guests, not mahus. I'm too lazy to fill this with links, and I'm trying to hurry upp with this 'cause I'm expecting some visitors.

Each Shaka Talk premieres somewhere like the third Thursday, and plays for 4 weeks.
Next Thursday night, October 15, at 11:59pm, (no forget Channel 52) our interview with Jason Tom makes its televised debut. After that, we can go public with it here and on our youtube page.

Shaka Talk #5: Jason Tom (available after premiere)
Part 1


Part 2:


Part 3:


In mid November, Shaka Talk #6 will feature Jamie Callahan from the Life Foundation, as she gives me the oral 20 minute HIV test.
It's 3:30 am, I gotta meet our next guest Harry Ramos from Two Warriors poetry duo in 9 hours, and still gotta prep clips for him and our other guest Otto. This Thursday is our next shoot, and these shows'll play in December/January.

thank you for watching/reading
thanks to all our guests for indulging us
Thank You Ty for working harder than anyone I know
thanks Eric, Jennifer, BBJ, and everyone at Olelo
Thanks Ian & Mom, I love you
and thank you Christa for doing what you do. (even way before this)