Press Release

Polynesia Comes Alive at JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa’s New Fia Fia Show

Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii – August 25, 2010 – The sights and sounds of Polynesia are now filling the air on Thursday nights at the luxurious JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina.

Under the direction of the charismatic Chief Sielu Avea, the Fia Fia Show takes guests on a fun journey through the South Pacific and Hawaii with entertaining demonstrations of music and dance.

Held at the resort’s ocean front lagoon lawn every Thursday beginning at 4:30 p.m., guests are greeted with shell lei and can pose for photos with the cast of performers. They then have the opportunity to learn a Hawaiian craft such as fire-making and view the unearthing of a full pig with an imu, or underground oven, used to make the delectable kalua pork entrée.

Executive Chef Scott Higa adds his own creative touches to the traditional luau menu, featuring popular dishes such as lomi lomi salmon, huli huli chicken and pulehu steak. Guests also receive up to two drinks including the tropical mai tai.

Following a spectacular sunset, Chief Sielu hosts the two hour-long Fia Fia Show, showcasing cultural performances from Tahiti, Samoa, Fiji and Hawaii. Guests even get in the act with Chief Sielu as a lucky few are invited to join him on stage for a personalized and humorous dance lesson or two. The highlight is the fire knife dance finale where Chief Sielu and his troupe spin, throw and handle flames with expertise and grace.

Open to both hotel guests and the general public, ticket prices are $90 for adults and $45 for children ages 3 to 11 years with complimentary self-parking validation for event guests. To make reservations, please contact the hotel’s concierge desk at 808-679-3209.

"Chief Sielu is so infectious, his personality and charm are a big reason why the Fia Fia Show is a crowd pleaser," said Dan Banchiu, general manager of JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa. "The addition of the show to our hotel is not only to entertain guests, but also introduce them to the different Polynesian cultures that make our islands so unique."

Born and raised on the island of Savaii, Samoa, Chief Sielu learned the difficult skill of fire knife dancing in high school, performing it for the first time at a graduation party. Upon moving to Hawaii in 1981 to attend BYU-Hawaii, he joined the renowned Polynesian Cultural Center as a fire knife dancer where he worked for 20 years. In 1993, he was crowned champion of the first International Fire Knife Dancing Competition in Hawaii.

Today, Chief Sielu leads his Polynesian revue in performing for hundreds of guests every week at various venues, including the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa on Thursday evenings. It’s a family business with his wife Sharla, daughter Lala and son Samuta involved in the production.

The JW MARRIOTT IHILANI RESORT & SPA AT KO OLINA offers 387 guest rooms and 36 suites and is the only Hawaii resort to offer allergy-friendly PURE rooms. The award winning resort fronts the first of four lagoons on Oahu’s sunny western shore. Part of the 640-acre Ko Olina Resort & Marina and offering the island's most complete resort experience, the hotel features luxuriously appointed rooms; relaxed Hawaiian elegance; gracious, warm personalized service; secluded beaches; offering a total of 77,694 square feet of outdoor and indoor meeting space, including the newly expanded 15,600-square-foot Hokulani Ballroom; professional tennis courts; 18 holes of challenging championship play at Ko Olina Golf Club; and a variety of restaurants showcasing unique and distinctive international cuisine. The world-class Ihilani Spa, voted one of the "Top Spas in the World" by readers of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure magazines, is internationally renowned for its full complement of invigorating body treatments and massages, using products harvested from the honua (earth) and the moana (ocean) here in the islands. The resort recently ranked as one of the "Top 100 Golf Resorts" by Conde Nast Traveler and is heralded as the "Best of the Best Romantic Locale" in the islands by readers of The Honolulu Advertiser. The resort and its signature Azul restaurant have also been honored with AAA’s Four Diamond award.

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Editor’s Note: JPGs of Chief Sielu Avea, the Fia Fia Show and JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa are available upon request.

For More Information, Contact:

Bernie Caalim or Noreen Kam
McNeil Wilson Communications, Inc.
Phone: (808) 531-0244  Fax: (808) 521-7163
Email: bernie.caalim@mwc-anthology.com or noreen.kam@mwc-anthology.com

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