Hawaiian jam sessions in Sonoma evoke romance of the islands

Monthly ‘kanikapila’ jam sessions celebrate Hawaiian dance and music.|

Hawaii may be more than 2,000 miles and an ocean away from Sonoma, but on a recent Saturday afternoon the Aloha State was right within reach.

About 30 musicians strummed ukuleles and sang in unison as a dozen hula dancers performed their graceful moves, turning the hall at the Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club into an island paradise.

A monthly “kanikapila” jam session draws about 70 people to the historic clubhouse, where Hawaiian dance, music and attire bring the warmth and romance of the islands even on the dreariest of days.

The kanikapila - the Hawaiian word meaning “getting together to make music” - is presented through Hula Mai, a Sonoma group offering hula lessons and performances.

Master ukulele player Del Medina of Marin County and his group lead the lively sessions, with novice and experienced musicians welcome to drop by with their ukuleles, guitars and even kazoos.

“Del is a character,” said Dorothy Lund, president of the Woman’s Club. “He’s really fun and keeps it going.”

Music books with Hawaiian and pop songs are available, with Medina calling out titles and corresponding page numbers so even newcomers can sing and strum along.

No one is on stage; everyone gathers together in the spacious hall, the personable Medina and his musicians in a semicircle facing the crowd.

Betty Ann Bruno, 85, established Hula Mai eight years ago, now a close-knit group of 55 dancers who encourage one another through dance and the challenges of life.

Most Hula Mai dancers are senior citizens who, like Bruno, defy their age.

The Hawaiian jam sessions welcome people of all ages, Bruno said, with one Hula Mai family including three generations. Jill Powers dances with her daughter Karyl Carter and Powers’ granddaughters (and Carter’s nieces), sisters Charlie and Ava Burk, 11 and 15, respectively.

The two-hour kanikapilas are a source of great pride and joy for Bruno, who was born in Hawaii. A longtime broadcast journalist who retired from KTVU in 1992, Bruno loves not only the dance and music that come together at the kanikapilas, but the sense of community and spirit of aloha that permeate the room.

The next kanikapila is from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 25, at the Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club, 574 First St. E. Admission is free; a $5 donation is suggested.

For more information, visit hulamai.org.

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