Known as “the man who drives the yellow station wagon and wears the Chinese cap,” Lihu‘e resident Ah Sau Ahana was a well-known fixture on the Hawaiian music scene in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s.
Ahana, who died Feb. 24 at the age of 100, will be remembered by friends and family today at the Lihu‘e First Hawaiian Church.
Eli Kikuchi, Ahana’s daughter, said her father always took care of the family.
“Throughout the years, there was a lot of love and he always made sure the family was OK,” Kikuchi said. “There are just tons of memories.”
Born and raised on Kaua‘i, Ahana was hired to work part-time for the county of Kaua‘i while still a student at Kaua‘i High School. At the age of 17, Ahana began working full-time for the county, where he remained employed for 48 years until his retirement as deputy finance director in 1972.
While in high school, Ahana learned how to play the banjo, ‘ukulele and the steel guitar. During WWII, he would entertain the troops, playing in the Reliance 7 Band and the Annie Holt Trio. Ahana would also entertain troops around Kaua‘i, all while wearing a bulletproof vest.
After the war, Ahana played steel guitar in radio announcer Mike Ashman’s trio. In a book entitled “Kaua‘i: As it was in the 1940s and ’50s,” Ashman spoke about his experiences with the trio.
“The three of us (Ashman, Ahana and Miki Waiau) managed to wander from one spot to another, singing and playing our collection of Hawaiian classics,” Ashman wrote. “I don’t think our trio was the greatest, but we were dependable. And that counted.”
Ahana and his musicians were the first entertainers hired by Grace Buscher Guslander at the Coco Palms in the ’50s. According to “The Story of the Coco Palms Hotel,” Ahana was the first man on Kaua‘i to own a steel guitar and was known for playing the instrument on his lap.
While her father played at the Coco Palms, Kikuchi was one of the hula dancers.
“One thing I do remember was that my father, being a finance man, made me claim social security,” Kikuchi said in the book.
After leaving the Coco Palms, Ahana played at the Luau Gardens, Kaua‘i Inn, Lovell’s Tavern and the Kaua‘i Surf.
He is survived by three daughters, 10 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his wife Mary E. Ahana, daughter Joyce Watanabe and grandchild Garrett Shiets.
Services for Ahana will be held today at the Lihu‘e First Hawaiian Church at 11 a.m. Friends may visit from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Casual attire is suggested.
