The World of Tihati

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A Landmark Journey of Faith, Family, and Culture

In the precarious world of show business, fifty years of success is almost unheard of. But Hawai‘i’s Jack and Cha Thompson have weathered the 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 incredible grit and a deep love for 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 reflections. Today, the Tihati journey stands as a vital landmark in Island entertainment history.

Like Tihati Productions co-founders Jack and Cha Thompson, Wayne and Violet Harada are Farrington High School graduates. Wayne was the entertainment editor of The Honolulu Advertiser and “Show Biz” columnist for 45 years. He retired in 2008 but continues to write a column for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Violet has spent more than 40 years in lower and higher education in Hawai‘i. She retired in 2012 as an emeritus professor in the Library and Information Science Graduate Program at the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa, where she continues to do part-time teaching and research.

Hardcover; 132 pp.
Authors: Wayne and Violet Harada
Release Date: November 2019