Singer Devin Nakasone and Annamarie Love with guest players Ricky Ricardo, left, Mark Silva and Robin Canencia performing at a previous jam session fundraiser for Prayers on Wings. (Courtesy photo)
BY GARY CHUN / gchun@staradvertiser.com
Since November 2012, a musical fundraiser has been held to help the Prayers on Wings charity, whose mission is near and dear to the heart of founder Devin Nakasone.
This year, however, there will be an earlier edition, “Winging It 3!,” on Sunday, May 26, at Dot’s in Wahiawa, because it will also be a celebration of Nakasone’s 40th birthday. Over 120 musicians have donated their time to play at these jam sessions, and the upcoming session will include members of Nakasone’s current band, Level III with the Elements, H2O, M.O.J.O., the Patrick Koh jazz band, Xcite, Pineapple Squeeze, Luna, Kelsie and Dave Watanabe, Daphne and Freddy Paraz, Jesse Valor, and more.
“Winging It 3!”Where: Dot’s in Wahiawa, 130 Mango St. |
All of the musicians represent longtime members who continue to gig on the local and bar scene, tirelessly entertaining patrons with favorite cover tunes of past decades.
“Playing in Level III,” said Nakasone, “we can do anything, from SOS-type floor shows to power dance, depending on the occasion. We’ve done convention gigs, played on New Year’s Eve, and been part of Tihati Productions shows.” Nakasone also sings with Xcite, who he calls “more of a top 40 dance band.”
He said he’s always loved to sing ever since he was a kid.
“Music pulled me through some of the hardest times in my life. The first professional band I was in was back in 1992, and I got back into music in 2001.”
An interesting sidenote is when Nakasone first formed the band CHaOs, the band’s first drummer was a young man who was about to graduate from Roosevelt High School, Peter Hernandez, better known nowadays as Bruno Mars.
“We did two gigs with him. He was just unstoppable. We told him he should get off the island and go to the mainland to pursue his musical dreams. He wanted to record and be recognized nationally, so seeing where he is now, I’m not surprised at all.”
Nakasone started Prayers on Wings two years ago.
“It’s always been a vision of mine ever since I was diagnosed with leukemia at age 11. It was in the middle of the school year and was coming down with these symptoms. So I went to the doctor, got a blood test, and because of the results I immediately went to the hospital for more tests. They found out I was 98 percent leukemic, so I started chemo immediately. I stayed on it for four years.
“During that time, no one knew I felt that my soul was dying. My parents were fighting because of financial problems. I was feeling suicidal.” (Nakasone also became addicted to crystal meth for 10 years, quitting in 1999.) “All these problems and negativity followed me after chemo. While I was hospitalized, the only friend I had was this rubber ducky that I would talk to.”
Nakasone would take this special relationship into his non-profit charity’s mission, “to build bridges of communication and inspire others through crisis” through the simple, shared task of painting a duck between a child patient and a family member of his or her choice.
Since Prayers on Wings started, Nakasone said “we’ve had organizations come forward to participate, like Hawaii Children’s Cancer Connection, the March of Dimes, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, and the local branch of the American Cancer Society. … We work with familes, the old and young.
“Doing this work has been part of my healing process as well.”
It’s been work that has been nationally recognized. On June 8 in Seattle, Nakasone will be named one of 2013 Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the U.S. Jaycees at a black-tie awards ceremony. Other honorees will include WWE star John Cena; Nate Morris, co-founder/CEO of Rubicon Global; and U.S. paralympian Jerreme Wade. Previous award recipients have been President Bill Clinton, Elvis Presley and Wayne Newton.
It’s a thrill that equals Nakasone sharing the stage with his musician friends.
“The last jam session we did at King’s Korner Sports Bar and Grill across from Old Stadium Park, we had 15-plus people on stage, including seven horn players. It was amazing, nothing was rehearsed, and we were just powering through Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind and Fire songs,” he said.
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Gary Chun is a features reporter at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Email him at gchun@staradvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter.