Aiea Swingin' Singers

The Aiea Swingin' Singers

KFVE K5 Video
July 9, 2004

Lyrics:
Na Ka Pueo /
No Place
Like Hawaii (PDF)
Nga Waka
(Na Waka)

Between the years of 1967 and 1976, a young high school music teacher named Edwina Siu bent her (formidable) will upon hand-selected students of Aiea High School, creating a "Select Choir," which quickly morphed into a flamboyant performing unit called the "Aiea Swingin' Singers."

Known for its flashy uniforms and spirited performances, the group graduated from performing in elementary and high school cafeterias to performances on grand stages around the world. Eventually, the group's travels included:

1972 - Milwaukee Insurance Co. was our host. We visited Milwaukee, Washington D.C., Reno and Disneyland.
1973 - Pan Am was our host. We visited New Zealand, Philippines and Japan.
1974 - We worked through the HVB and represented Hawaii at EXPO in Spokane.
1975 - We worked with HVB and toured Europe for 3-1/2 weeks.
1976,77,78 - with United Airlines, we visited the East Coast, advertising Hawaii.

Shows began with choreographed group performances of Broadway show tunes, popular hits and classical selections, punctuated with solo performances. There were costume changes from aloha-print coats and ties, and dresses, to aloha shirts and muumuus. Then the show really kicked into high gear with a Polynesian review covering most Pacific Island cultures including Samoan, Tahitian, Maori, Fijian and Hawaiian song and dance--in full native costume!

Many graduates of the Swingin' Singers went on to success in entertainment and just about any other field that they chose to pursue.

Many made their mark in Hawaiian music and hula. Graduates of the Aiea Swingin' Singers include Kumu Hula Darrell Lupenui, Thaddeus Wilson and O'Brian Eselu (second from left in bottom photo). Hoku (Carlton) Damaso currently performs at the Waikoloa resort on the Big Island.

Popular singer Sonya Mendez is a graduate (sixth from left in front row, above). Ninia (Richardson) Aldrich is now Principal of Kamehameha Schools Hawaii Campus. 1974 Miss Teenage America (the first Miss Teen America from Hawaii) and now-Seattle broadcast journalist Lori Matsukawa was a member, too.

ONLINE PHOTO GALLERY

Please check out the hundreds of photos in our online photo gallery.

If you have a Web site about a graduate of the Aiea Swingin' Singers, please let me know. I'd love to link to it.

I am your host, Blaine Fergerstrom. I sang in the 1968-69, 1969-70 and the 1970-71 Aiea Swingin' Singers. I also toured the mainland with the 1972 group. (The groovy colors on this page were chosen to reflect the era.) These days I am a computer geek! In the top photo, I'm the skinny guy just right of center in the back row. Here's what I look like now.