An Evening Surprise at the November Ahiahi Makeke

Da Jukes, comprised of Jessica Sakurada, Robert Shizuma, Melia Kalawe, Leonaka Burrows, Kahale Naehu-Ramos and Edwin Mendija, describe themselves as a product of their unique upbringings. Contributed photo

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTED

By Desirae Mendija

A usual crowd of vendors and shoppers gathered Friday Nov. 7 on the back lawn of the Storehouse in Kaunakakai. The Aloha Ahiahi Makeke assembles the first Friday evening of every month, featuring live entertainment, Molokai-made crafts and ono local foods. 

The evening began at 5 p.m. with a performance by Patrick Hiro, John Aki, Vic Patron and Adrian Canencia. As the sun started setting and overhead lights began to illuminate, announcements to stick around for Molokai’s newest band, “Da Jukes,” were made. 

Da Jukes comprised of Jessica Sakurada, Robert Shizuma, Melia Kalawe, Leonaka Burrows, Kahale Naehu-Ramos and Edwin Mendija (Molokai born and/or raised) described themselves as “a product of (their) unique upbringings,” and said they were “happy to share (their) combined talents with Molokai.”

As approximately 50 people began to gather, including vendors, visitors, family members and friends, Kalawe started the performance with “My Sweet Sweetie,” a Hawaiian cover from Willie K. All but one member of the band captivated the audience singing two or more songs each featuring a delightful mixture of oldies, pop, disco, country, R&B and more. 

As the night neared its closing, Burrows serenaded listeners with “Can I Call You Rose” by Thee Sacred Souls, as band manager Desirae Mendija chose 12 lucky women from the group of attendees to be gifted a single wrapped red rose with a “thank you” from the band, a gift for attending their official debut. 

By the end of the night, the band garnered two encores, the second requesting they play all night long. Vendor Jason Royce Villa, who listened while preparing fresh tacos, described the group as “fire that is cool to the touch,” saying “they push the sound of different eras and have the ability to entertain the whole crowd and not just one age group.” 

Husband and wife Mark and Paula (Mondoy) Scott celebrated the band on their social media accounts. 

“What a fantastic evening and a huge surprise when Da Jukes performed … Each band member brought another layer of excitement and musicality. With Jessica as the frontwoman, her strong connection with the audience truly shone, bringing the place to life. This is what live music is all about, and I’m so grateful we have them here on Molokai,” Mark said. 

“I was delighted beyond measure at this group’s ability to play such a wide variety of music. We weren’t sure what to expect with what we consider to be a young group, but we were impressed with the range of music that they performed and that they all took turns singing the lead,” Paula said. 

If you missed Da Juke’s Debut, they plan to make appearances at future markets and other community events, and they are taking books for private gigs via their Instagram @dajukesmusic, or their website www.dajukesmusic.weebly.com.

Da Jukes would like to thank the Storehouse Gals, Uncle Adrian and Aunty Ella from Ola Nui for hosting their debut and attendees for the love and support.