When I was going to the University of Hawaii in 1974, my roommate, Randy Hiraki, and I often went downtown to Territorial Tavern on Bishop and Nimitz. There I saw the funniest comedy group I had ever seen. Here’s the story on how they came together.
"Country Comfort, whose ‘Waimanalo Blues’ was a huge hit, would take long breaks to smoke pakalolo outside," recalls Territorial Tavern owner Bob Hampton. "Jimmy Benton, our doorman, and bartender Ed Kaahea came to me one night.
"They had done improv at UH and wanted to know if they and four friends could take the stage and do comedy. The only major comedians performing regularly in Hawaii back then was Sterling Mossman at Queen’s Surf or Lucky Luck."
The stage was too small for six, Hampton thought. He suggested they limit their act to three. Who would be the third? A guitarist who was playing at the Pieces of Eight in Waikiki named Rap Reiplinger, they decided. They called themselves Kanaka Komedy.
"They invited all their friends at the university to come down that first night, and we had a line of people out the door and around the block," Hampton recalls. "We sat 260 but probably had 360 in attendance."
Kanaka Komedy’s skits were very ethnic and laden with pidgin. They were insulting and charming at the same time. No one could take offense.
In one skit a cop, Officer Medeiros, played by Kaahea, pulls over a driver, Reiplinger, for traveling 95 miles per hour in a 10 mph zone. Reiplinger was able to confuse the cop into thinking they were related.
"Eh, you Auntie Nelly’s brother’s cousin George’s nephew’s son, eh?
"Uh, yeah, I t’ink so," the cop said. "How you know?"
"Cuz, uncle bruddah’s niece’s Debra’s husband Dick is my first cousin on my second mother’s side. We’re cousins," Reiplinger declares, driving away.
Kanaka Komedy wasn’t a great name, so they held a contest for a new one. They picked Booga Booga.
Hampton sold the Territorial Tavern in 1979. "There’s a saying that the bar business makes a young man old and an old man young. I felt like I was getting old fast."
Unfortunately, the new owners lost their way and closed after only six months. An era had come to a close, but it left a musical and comedic legacy that continues to this day.
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Bob Sigall, author of the “Companies We Keep” books, looks through his collection of old photos to tell stories each Friday of Hawaii people, places and companies. Email him at Sigall@Yahoo.com.
