Emme Tomimbang's "Emme's Christmas Island Moments — Plantation Style" premieres at 9 p.m. Thursday on KHON 2, with a retelecast at 5 p.m. Christmas Eve.

The show, acknowledging the year of the Filipino Centennial, was partly taped at Hawaii's Plantation Village in Waipahu, and honors Filipino and other ethnic groups that worked Hawai'i's plantations over the decades. The show celebrates Hawai'i's diversity with sequences on Japanese mochi-pounding, Portuguese bread-making, Filipino lantern-making and Puerto Rican pasteles.

Musical guests include "American Idol" finalist Jordan Segundo, singing "The Christmas Song;" "Miss Saigon" star Kristian Lei, rendering "Merry Christmas, Darling;" Maui songstress Dulce Reyes offering "I'll Be Home for Christmas;" and former Society of Seven soloist "Little" Albert Maligmat performing "Hindi Kita Malimot," a traditional Filipino song honoring immigrants of all ethnicities.

The Mutya Ng Byan Choir also renders a Filipino carol.

Excerpts from earlier "Christmas Island Moments" will tap performances by Na Leo Pilimehana, Brickwood Galuteria, Pauline Wilson of Seawind, pianist Rene Paulo, and Philippines star Martin Nievera.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.