![Society of Seven promo print 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Society_of_Seven_promo_print_2.jpg)
The Society of Seven (SOS) is a musical group that performs a
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
of the same name. Based in Hawaii, it was formed in 1969 from the pop group known as the Fabulous Echoes, which originated in Hong Kong in the early 1960s.
The group mainly performed at the Main Showroom of the
Outrigger Waikiki in Hawaii, and has toured
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, and other major cities in the
West Coast of the United States
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
. Its original members were Tony Ruivivar, Bert Sagum, Don Gay, Terry Lucido,
Roberto Nievera, Stan Robertson, and Danny Ruivivar.
The troupe performs a variety of songs (particularly Broadway
showtunes
A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context.
...
), comedy sketches, and
celebrity impersonations. It has also recorded for several national and local record labels, although record sales were primarily in Hawaii record stores and as souvenirs at the group's performances—in that context, the group's hits include "Walk Away," "99.8" and "I'll Love You Through It All." The SOS released a number of records in Asia, recording with the Hong Kong-based Diamond Records. Their version of "
A Little Bit of Soap
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
" was 1 for 32 weeks on the Hong Kong charts, as well as being a hit in neighboring countries. That started a string of hits, and they had a double hit with "Dancing on the Moon" and "Sunshine" (a ballad written by Diamond Music co-director Frances da Silva-Kirk and Vic Cristobal).
History
The Society of Seven opened at the Main Showroom of the
Outrigger Waikiki in 1969 for what was originally a four-week engagement in place of
Tommy Sands
Thomas Adrian Sands (born August 27, 1937) is an American pop music singer and actor. Working in show business as a child, Sands became an overnight sensation and instant teen idol when he appeared on ''Kraft Television Theater'' in January 19 ...
.
There was considerable turnover in the roster in the years that followed—three members of the group, Danny Ruivivar, Terry Lucido and Gary Bautista (who joined in 1984), died, and more than 14 others came and went during the next four decades. However, two members of the original 1969 SOS group—SOS leader Tony Ruivivar and vocalist Bert Sagum, both also members of the original Fabulous Echoes group—were still there when the group celebrated its 32nd anniversary at the Outrigger in 2001. That is believed to be the record for a Waikiki act as the headliner of single major venue (
Don Ho
Donald Tai Loy Ho (August 13, 1930 – April 14, 2007) was a Hawaiian traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer. He is best known for the song "Tiny Bubbles" from the album of the same name.
Life and career
Ho was a singer of Native ...
was a Waikiki headliner for 43 years, but he headlined several different venues between 1964 and 2007;
Danny Kaleikini, another major Hawaiian entertainer, headlined the Maile Terrace at what was then the Kahala Hilton, a few miles outside Waikiki, for 27 years
967-1994.
In 2001, a second troupe was formed, Society of Seven LV. When the formation of the SOS LV was first announced the publicists said that the original SOS group would remain based in
Waikiki
Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...
and the younger group, with the "LV" short for
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
would be based in Las Vegas. However, the original SOS eventually moved to Las Vegas and the Society of Seven LV became the resident version of the group at the Outrigger, though the original Society Of Seven has returned to Hawaii for several concert-style performances at the Hawaii Theater in downtown Honolulu.
As of May 2009, ''Society of Seven with
Lani Misalucha
Lani Bayot Misalucha (; born Lani Dimalanta Bayot; August 3, 1969) is a Filipino singer who performs pop, rock, jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, and operatic arias. Her ability to sing across several genres gave her the title "Asia's Nightingale ...
'' could be seen performing at the
Flamingo Las Vegas
Flamingo Las Vegas (formerly The Fabulous Flamingo and Flamingo Hilton Las Vegas) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment.
The property includes a casino along with 3,46 ...
and ''Society of Seven LV'', with
Jasmine Trias
Jasmine Trias (born November 3, 1986) is an American singer-entertainer who was the third place finalist on the third season of ''American Idol''. She has released one album to date, ''Jasmine Trias''.
Biography
Trias was born in Honolulu, Hawa ...
can be seen at the
Outrigger
An outrigger is a projecting structure on a boat, with specific meaning depending on types of vessel. Outriggers may also refer to legs on a wheeled vehicle that are folded out when it needs stabilization, for example on a crane that lifts ...
Waikiki Hotel in
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
. Trias, a finalist on the
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
TV show
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
, was born and raised in
Mililani, Hawaii
Mililani () is a city located near the center of the island of Oahu in Honolulu County, Hawaiʻi, United States. It consists of two census-designated places, Mililani Town, with a population of 28,121 at the 2020 census, and Mililani Mauka, wi ...
, near Honolulu, and was seen as a natural addition to the show.
On November 6, 2009 the Society of Seven opened a new show with
Jasmine Trias
Jasmine Trias (born November 3, 1986) is an American singer-entertainer who was the third place finalist on the third season of ''American Idol''. She has released one album to date, ''Jasmine Trias''.
Biography
Trias was born in Honolulu, Hawa ...
doing comedy, impression and dance under a one-year contract to perform two shows Friday, Saturday & Sunday at the
Gold Coast Hotel and Casino
The Gold Coast Hotel and Casino is a hotel and casino located in Paradise, Nevada. This locals' casino is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming. The Gold Coast is located one mile (1.6 km) west of the Las Vegas Strip on West Flamingo Road. It ...
located one mile (1.6 km) west of the
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of ...
on
West Flamingo Road. This relationship has continued a second year, with Trias joining SOS in their sold-out 22 October 2011 show at
Atlantis Casino Resort
The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa (formerly Golden Road Motor Inn, Travelodge, Quality Inn and Clarion) is a hotel and casino located in Reno, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. Its three hotel towers have a combined ...
in
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
.
Starting in 2010, when Trias has had other obligations, her place has been taken by
Arshiel Calatrava, a
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
student from
Kalihi
Kalihi is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, United States. Split by the Likelike Highway (Route 63), it is flanked by downtown Honolulu to the east and Mapunapuna, Moanalua and Salt Lake to the west.
Kalihi is th ...
, Hawaii, continuing the SOS tradition of showcasing Hawaiian talent.
The original SOS group received a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the
Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
(HARA) in 2007. The group was voted "the Best Show in Waikiki" by the readers of Honolulu Magazine.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Society Of Seven
1969 establishments in Hawaii
American comedy musical groups
Filipino-American culture
Filipino-American musical groups
Hawaii culture
Las Vegas shows
Musical groups established in 1969
Musical groups from Hawaii
Septets