THIS MONTH: LONESOME DOVE'S LONE WARBLER / LOVE SET TO MUSIC / HOT! HOT! HOT! SALSA / DINNER ON THE MOVE

WITH DONNA SHOR

LONESOME DOVE'S LONE WARBLER
When Kuwaiti ambassador Salem Al-Sabah and his wife Rima host a party at their embassy, perfectionist Rima sees to it that everything - food, flowers and the guest list - are topnotch. The same goes when Kuwait's huge National Day celebration moves to the spacious Willard Hotel; celebrity-spotting among guests continues, whether political sparklies or stars of the Hollywood firmament. Oscarwinner Robert Duvall and his wife and tango partner, actress Luciana Pedraza, came from the Virginia hunt country for the event. ("Traffic was so bad it took us two hours instead of one to get here, but it was worth it," Duvall said.) They met on the set of the steamy movie Assassination Tango, and have been tango-ing through life ever since. Argentine-born Luciana, often clad top-to-toe in black, switched to winter white, with a stunning white mink jacket, revving up the glamour quotient in the room.

Willee Lewis, knowing Duvall's brother was a singer, asked the actor if he ever sang. He replied in the affirmative, saying that at one point he was the bane of his neighbors' lives because of it. This happened in New York, when he, Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman were all struggling actor pals. Duvall moved into an old building filled with singers. "Perhaps their inspiration was that the great Caruso used to live there. They sang opera all day long." Unintimidated by the arias, Duvall sang country music - when country wasn't cool.

LOVE SET TO MUSIC
Each year at their Valentine's Day benefit gala, Washington's Master Chorale serenades four local sweetheart couples who make contributions to the arts. Sam and Jan Smith Donaldson and Chorale Music Director David McCullough introduced the artsloving lovers: Arturo Brillembourg and Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg; Calvin and Jane Cafritz; Gilbert and Jaylee Mead; and Sen. Ted and Catherine Stevens. The Webster Group coordinates it, but for Lynda Webster the gala was complicated this year by foot surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Still, she had her very own Valentine there to pilot her wheelchair, former FBI and CIA director William Webster.

HOT! HOT! HOT! SALSA
Another busy lady inconveniently laid up was Pat Skantze, president of the Women's Committee of the Washington Ballet. For their Una Noche de Vino wine tasting at the Colombian embassy, Pat worked hard with the event chair, Maggie Sheedy, to obtain wines and south-ofthe- border dishes from seven restaurants. On the big Noche, Pat was still recovering, and couldn't make it. Plenty of others did, however, including Kay Kendall, Septime Webre, Cyd Everett, Kitty Skallerup, Sarah Gorman and Timothy and P.J. Trudeau. The Trudeaus shamelessly smuggled in a ticketless guest, unnoticed by the others, because although she was nine months pregnant, it didn't show on her tall, fashionmodel- willowy figure. Little Chloe, even in utero an obedient child, waited patiently another week to make her appearance. High spot of the evening was a spectacular, sizzling salsa with Colombian Ricardo Loiza and wife Elba of WEPA Productions raising the room temperature by several degrees.

DINNER ON THE MOVE
The Strickland-Townsend dinner was probably the most "moving" of the 24 say-goodbye events that friends planned for John Lowell, the ambassador of Malta, and his wife Marie-Therese. This one began elegantly in the Colonnade home of Stephen and Jay Strickland with caviar, champagne and a melodious Debussy "toast" to the Lowells by guest Betty Bullock on Stephen's grand piano. The whole party moved downstairs to the Lewis Townsends', where Ann's cassoulet starred, then back again to the starting point for dessert. The mobile diners included Andras Simonyi, the ambassador of Hungary, and wife Nada, and Anne and John Boyd.

Guests remained firmly fixed in their chairs, however, a few nights later, over salmon tartlets and guinea hen with Sir David and Lady Manning at the British embassy. Seen: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; Secretary of Energy Samuel ("call me Sam") Bodman and his wife Diane; the ambassador of Afghanistan Said Jawad and wife Shamim; Michael and Linda Sonnenreich; Matt Hastings, bachelors-for-the-night Roland Flamini and Charles di Bona; and Giorgio and Anna Maria Via.

Later in the week Anna Maria was joined by Nancy Dunton at the Via home to host a kaffe-klatch for Marie-Therese. The honoree (o, exemplary guest!) even brought a bundt cake she baked that morning - despite the pressure of those 24 parties. No wonder people love the thoughtful Lowells. John, who was director of theaters for Malta, would probably welcome another spot in the arts once back home. Among those attending were wives of the ambassadors of Argentina, Ecuador, Lebanon, Japan, Costa Rica, the United Arab Republic and Nicaragua; Shaista Mahmood, Cecilia Schultz, Vibeke Lofft and Brenda de Suze.

RITA DOOLEY, SUSAN E S, NORTON, SUE PORTER, and DIANA MAYHEW at a fundraiser celebrating the 95th anniversary of the gift of the cherry trees from Japan on February 28th at the Renaissance M Street Hotel. PHOTO CREDIT: E. David Luria	Writer JUDITH "MISS MANNERS" MARTIN and INGRID AIELLI at Carnevale on February 20th at Teatro Goldoni restaurant, where owner-chef Fabrizio Aielli served classic Venetian dishes and wines to "Save Venice" supporters.

DANIEL MUDD, president and CEO of Fannie Mae; APRIL MCCLAIN-DELANEY and JOHN DELANEY, 2007 Catholic Charities Foundation Gala co-chairmen and MAURA MUDD at the CCF Gala on February 3rd at the Hilton Washington Hotel. More than $1.5 million was raised.	French Ambassador JEAN DAVID LEVITTE and his wife MARIE CECILE on February 14th at their residence, where they hosted a benefit dinner in support of the Ann Bujon Educational Initiative of the Alliance Francais.

CLAY and CARRIE BUCKLEY with OTHMAR BLUMENCRON at the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund 10th Anniversary Celebration, held at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, on February 27th.