It's A Hawaii Thing

Eric Andrew Wright is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League. In the 2007 NFL Draft he was drafted second round by the Cleveland Browns. Wright also played for the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and San Francisco 49ers where he retired. After his 7th season in the NFL he announced his retirement from professional football. During his career he played at 4 Super Bowl championships during the decade of the 1980s. Wright was a two-time NFL all-pro and Pro Bowl selection in 1984 and 1985. After retirement he continues to work for the San Francisco 49ers organization as an alumni coordinator.

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/

It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.

Melissa Short Zapin started as a soprano in Honolulu, Hawaii. An unforgettable rendition of Je veux vivre from Romeo et Juliet won her the Miss Hawai‘i title and a place on the famed Miss America stage. There, she won the talent and swimsuit competitions and finished in the top ten. Melissa was first in the NSAL Opera Competition, performing Christine in Phantom of the Opera and Cinderella in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Both performances won Po’okela awards for Best Female Performer in a Musical. She was a featured guest artist at several galas for the Hawaii Opera Theater. After receiving the Hungarian Arts Music Festival Award, Melissa accompanied famed tenor Marcello Giordani in several concerts appearing at the Fresno Grand Opera House in Dayton, Ohio. Her operatic performances included La Contessa in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello at Vero Beach, and Musetta in La Boheme. Melissa was the featured soloist in Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de Consessore and John Rutter’s Mass at the world-famous Carnegie Hall, both of which were highlights of her career. Melissa also worked as a voiceover artist and performer, appearing on television in the hit shows Sex in the City and Elementary with Lucy Liu.

In 2015 Melissa retired as an Opera singer and began Grandma Ruth’s Pies, baking handmade, all-natural, preservative-free pies. What started as baking for family and friends to enjoy during the holidays quickly expanded to local farm stands in the Hamptons. When she moved to Los Angeles in 2017, Melissa’s business boomed, reaching a larger audience. She started servicing the entertainment industry and local farmers’ markets, turning Grandma Ruth’s Pies into a year-round operation. She currently sells online, offering local delivery in Los Angeles and the Hamptons and flash-frozen pies shipped nationally. Some crowd favorites are the Vegan Apple Crumble Pie and Chocolate Cream Pie. Grandma Ruth's Pies bring families together with fresh, handmade, natural ingredients molded by skilled hands into perfection. Made from scratch and with her Grandma Ruth’s love, the pies brought Melissa’s family together throughout the years. Melissa now delivers that sentiment to the homes of everyone that eat her delicious pies.

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/

It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.

Tamara Shaffer, Wellness & Lifestyle Consultant and now Founder of Honolulu's first IV Lounge & Lifestyle Medspa, DRIPHAWAII. 

From Model to Mom and Biz Development Consultant working with many industries in Hawaii and abroad, Tamara now takes all her experiences and passion for wellness, intimate health, and esthetics to bring something unique to Hawaii that is for BOTH men & women.

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.

Stay Connected:

IG @drip__hawaii

driphawaii.com

A Little About DRIP HAWAII: 

DRIP HAWAII is a boutique IV Lounge & Lifestyle Medspa that helps our patients achieve optimal health and confidence through premium IV Micronutrient Therapy, Vitamin Shots, and Esthetic Services. Allowing people to live their best lives, and setting milestones in Wellness & Lifestyle culture for both our Kama'aina and Island visitors.

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/

It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.

“America’s GAYSIAN Sweetheart” – Alec Mapa! He has been making people laugh since he was a little kid growing up in San Francisco and now he is an actor, comedian, and writer. He scored his first break playing the role of Song Liling in David Henry Huang’s Broadway production of M. Butterfly in which he toured the country. Alec has made guest appearances on a variety of TV shows like Roseanne, The Jamie Foxx Show, Seinfeld, Dharma and Greg, Desperate Housewives and the popular hit series Friends. His movie appearances include parts in Bright Lights, Big City, Connie and Carla, Don’t Mess With the Zohan, and Marley & Me, to name a few. Alec wrote and performed in a one-man play, I Remember Mapa, about his experiences growing up gay in San Francisco. He also was a featured performer on the Logo original standup comedy series Wisecrack. Hear the latest on America’s GAYSIAN Sweetheart – Alec Mapa premiering on October 29.

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/

It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.

#SquirrelFriends #GAYSIAN

Anette Arinix Amazing Aga (yes, that’s her real name) is a Samoan-American comedian, actor, writer, and producer from Hawaii. Local audiences may recognize her as “the wife” in the popular Diamond Bakery commercials.

As an actor, she has performed with various Honolulu theatre companies, including Kumu Kahua, Manoa Valley Theatre, and Stage Fish. She has also written and performed in The Hawaii Comedy Festival for several years and is a regular player with Improv Hawaii.

In 2021, Anette co-produced the first-ever Polynesian AF sketch comedy show with Asian AF for The 7th Annual Hawaii Comedy Festival at Studio 909. She is also a co-producer for several Improv Hawaii in-person comedy shows and live streams.

In her spare time, she enjoys karaoke, photo shoots, and really good customer service.

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/

It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.

Aidan Laprete is a singer-songwriter, music producer and actor, originally from Honolulu, Hawaii. Formerly known as Aidan James, he was a YouTube sensation at the age of 8, with over 20+ million views earning global recognition for his cover of "Hey Soul Sister". Laprete has toured around the US, Tahiti, and Asia. He has been featured on ABC News, HBO, and Good Morning America. After relocating to Los Angeles, he re-branded to Laprete in 2019 and released his first EP under the new name. Laprete’s music explores a blend of alternative-pop with elements of ambient/electronic/garage. As a producer, his debut work on Grayson's album "Head To Head” received support from Billboard and multiple Spotify editorial playlists. He continues to produce and co-write for other artists, collaborating with the likes of Matisyahu, Chosen Jacobs, Johnny Manuel, and Stella Smyth. As an actor, Laprete plays Henry Tanaka in the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s “The Wilds”.    http://www.instagram.com/aidanlaprete http://www.twitter.com/aidanlaprete http://www.lapretemusic.com 

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.  

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.  ##thewilds #aidan #chosenjacobs #songwriter

JohnnyJunkers is a professional cosplayer from Orange, California and he has been a professional cosplayer since 2012 providing costumes and modelling for clients such as Riot Games, Marvel Entertainment and Crunchyroll. As a cosplay competitor he was the winner for season 1 of Myx TV's "Call To Cosplay" and subsequently a judge for 2 seasons as well as the winner for the 2020 League of Legends North American Cosplay Contest. Even as a professional cosplayer he believes that the passion and fan aspect of cosplay is the most important part of the art.  

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.  

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.  

#cosplayer #cosplay

Kurt Hoffmann is one of our very own editors for It’s A Hawaii Thing, Culturised, and many other local television programs, including Cooking Hawaiian Style. 

Aside from his work as an editor and crewmember on these productions, he is a writer, director, cinematographer, and producer for films and documentaries, many of which he releases on his YouTube channel, Kurt Hoffilms: youtube.com/c/kurthoffilms 

He co-produced the 2020 short film Hitman directed by Devan Fujinaka. It won “Best First Time Filmmaker” at Venice Shorts 2020, was an Official Selection at Hawaii International Film Festival 2020, and won The American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase High School Division at the 75th Annual Festival de Cannes in 2022. The team traveled to Cannes, France to attend the festival and screen their film. They are collaborating this summer on a new short film entitled Kanaka Street.  

Kurt is also the co-owner of a wedding video company with his fiancée, Cody. The company is called Retrosight Studios: retrosightstudios.com  

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.  

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.  

#hitman #videoeditor #producer

Dustin Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American actor, director, writer, and martial artist. He is best known for his roles as Harry Truman Loki on the hit TV show, “21 Jump Street,” and Johnny Loh on “VIP.” He moved with his family from Vietnam to California where he pursued acting from a young age and went on to establish himself as one of Hollywood’s premiere Asian-American actors. He has been in films such as Little Fish, The Rebel, and The Man with the Iron Fists 2, to name a few. In recent years, he transitioned to directing and producing films under Dreamscape DBS; the production company he shares with his producer wife, Bebe Pham. His movie “Jackpot” received 3 Golden Kite Awards (Vietnam’s highest cinematic award) in 2016.  

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.  

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.

“Aloha! I’m Patrick Landeza, and I’m from the island of Berkeley, California.” Audiences chuckle whenever Patrick introduces himself, in part because it has become an inside joke that he shares with those who attend his concerts regularly – he says it every single time. But the fact that Patrick is from Berkeley is key in how he defines himself and his role in Hawaiian music. Not only is he an exceptional and award-winning slack key guitarist; he has also been producing Hawaiian concerts for over twenty years, and teaches slack key guitar in music camps and classes around the country. He has become northern California’s – if not much of the West Coast’s – go-to man for all things related to Hawaiian music, and he is one of the essential seams binding California’s Hawaiian community together. This didn’t happen overnight. Patrick’s well-regarded status is due to many years of hard work, persistence, talent, and a huge amount of aloha.  

It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler.  Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii.  

To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit:  https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/ It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.  

#slackkey #guitarist #nahoku