The Aloha Inaugural Ball welcomes everyone in town for this historic inauguration to join us at a gala celebration honoring President-elect Barack Obama and the Aloha state of Hawaii where he was born and raised. The Aloha Ball is a truly unique and special inaugural event that will feature the music, food and culture of Hawaii, embracing the Aloha spirit of unity that shaped Barack Obama's core values.
The Aloha Ball will recreate the musical experience of Barack Obama's youth in Hawaii in the 1970s, beginning with traditional Hawaiian music performed by Manu Ikaika and music and dancers from the Halau O 'Aulani and Halau Ho'omau I ka Wai Ola O Hawai'i.
Brother Ah and the Aloha World Music Ensemble will perform a fusion of native Hawaiian music and jazz that Barack Obama grew to love while going to jazz clubs with his grandfather in Honolulu.
And the evening will end with a classic '70s performance by the legendary George Clinton and his P-Funk All Stars! What a night of music!
The Aloha Ball will be serving a complete Hawaiian menu of wonderfully delicious main courses, side dishes and snacks that Barack Obama enjoyed while growing up. Fully stocked open bars will be serving drinks, including tropical drinks. And everyone who purchases a ticket will receive a Hawaiian orchid lei, a wreath of flowers presented as a symbol of affection, freshly shipped from Hawaii.
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washingtonpost.com:
Hawaii's Still Waters Run Deep for the President-Elect
By Philip Rucker
HONOLULU -- In his two weeks in Hawaii, Barack Obama has oozed island cool: the black shades and khaki shorts, the breezy sandaled saunter that suggested he had not a care in the world. Who said anything about the presidency?
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photos courtesy of Obama Hawaii
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Obama says the "aloha spirit" remains his personal and political inspiration.
"I do think that the multicultural nature of Hawaii helped teach me how to appreciate different cultures and navigate different cultures, out of necessity," Obama says. "The second thing that I'm certain of is that what people often note as my even temperament I think draws from Hawaii. People in Hawaii generally don't spend a lot of time, you know, yelling and screamin' at each other. I think that there just is a cultural bias toward courtesy and trying to work through problems in a way that makes everybody feel like they're being listened to. And I think that reflects itself in my personality as well as my political style."
-US News & World Report, May 30, 2008
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The Aloha Inaugural Ball is a not-for-profit Washington, D.C. corporation.
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