The World of Tihati Product Description:

In the precarious world of show business, fifty years of success is almost unheard of. But Hawaii’s Jack and Cha Thompson have weathered formidable odds – beginning in 1969 as two kids fresh out of a local public high school and performing in the nightclubs of Waikiki. With little business acumen, but with incredible grit and a deep love of their Polynesian culture, they earned their stripes not just as performers, but as entrepreneurs who created the entertainment empire known as Tihati Productions. Visitors and islanders who have thrilled to a Tihati revue will treasure the behind-the-scenes glimpses of this remarkable family enterprise, garnered through interviews, anecdotes, and personal recollections. Today, the Tihati journey stands as a vital landmark in Island entertainment history.

Wayne and Violet Harada are Farrington High School graduates, like Tihati Productions co-founders Jack and Cha Thompson. Wayne was the entertainment editor of The Honolulu Advertiser and “Show Biz” columnist for 45 years. Violet has spent more than 40 years in lower and higher education in Hawaii. She retired in 2012 as an emeritus professor in the Library and Information Science Graduate Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.