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Furtado, Eleanor Leilehua Becker
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Kupuna
Name:
Furtado, Eleanor Leilehua Becker
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Middle
Names and Meaning:
Leilehua
(
Wreath of lehua blossoms
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| Birthday: |
Jan 8, 1927
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| Birth
Place: |
Santa Cruz, CA
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| Brief
Biographical Summary: |
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Leilehua Furtado has spent most of her life in the public eye as a singer, dancer, and television personality. Born into a talented family, her grandmother was Kumu Hula Isabella Ka`ili Miller Desha, and her mother was Ida Hale`ala Pope Desha, younger sister of well-known Helen Desha Beamer. Her primary hula training came from Louise Beamer, Helen's daughter-in-law, although her first exposure to her Hawaiian heritage was through aunt Helen in Hilo after the family returned to the islands in 1932. Lei was the star of New York's Lexington Hotel "Hawaiian Room" in the 1940's and toured the mainland with the Claude Thornhill Band as a jazz singer. She also performed in the Nalani Kele Polynesian Revue at the Stardust in Las Vegas with cousin Mahi Beamer. She may be most remembered for KGMB's "Kini Popo Show" where she appeared five days a week from 1954-55. Lei has two sons, five grandchildren, and lives happily with her artist husband Al and their "Chinese temple dog" `Öpihi.
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| Visuals: |
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 | | Vamp away Auntie Lei!, Honolulu 2002 |
 | | Dancing a favorite hula, "Le`ahi," 2002 |
 | | Lei and Al Furtado, Dec 2002 |
 | | Lei singing "Pidgin English Hula," accompanied by cousin Nona Beamer, Dec 2002 |
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