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It wasn't easy, but they managed to keep everyone involved safe and healthy. Producer Amy Kalili talks about the challenges and how she kept the winners a secret.
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Nestled near the largest district on the island of Hawaii sits the small, tight-knit community of Volcano.
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Nestled near the largest district on the island of Hawaii sits the small, tight-knit community of Volcano.
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Hālau from across Hawaiʻi took to the stage at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium on Saturday night, performing hula ʻauana at the 2021 Merrie Monarch Festival.
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An Oʻahu hālau under the direction of kumu hula Chinky Mahoe was named the overall winner of the 2021 Merrie Monarch Festival on Saturday night.
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Here’s a list of dates and times to watch the 2021 Merrie Monarch Festival and the rest of our jam-packed slate of programming.
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Hālau from across Hawaiʻi were back on the stage at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium on Friday night, performing hula kahiko at the 2021 Merrie Monarch Festival.
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After the 2020 competition was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, hula returns to the world’s biggest stage on July 1 — and there are more ways than ever to watch!
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Here’s a full list of the dates and times to watch the 2021 Merrie Monarch Festival and the rest of our jam-packed slate of programming, including the encore presentations of this yearʻs festival action.
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In one of the closest Miss Aloha Hula competitions ever recorded at the Merrie Monarch Festival, a dancer from Ka Lā ʻŌnohi Mai O Haʻehaʻe won hulaʻs top individual award Thursday, edging out the first runner up by a single point.
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The passion of lovemaking is compared to the pressures which power a steamship. The gauge measures the steam as the pressure increases. Overhead the ʻiwa bird is one to be admired as it glides gracefully in flight. Kalākaua composed this mele under his pen name “Figgs,” a pseudonym that he often used when writing mele of a more risque nature.
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This mele is dedicated to our dear friend, Uncle Sam Ako of Lāhainā, Maui. Hawaiian music has always been an integral part of Uncle Sam’s life. A musical genius, Uncle Sam was our hālau piano player and musical arranger for many years. “Nani Wale Paunau” is a humble tribute to the beloved land that Uncle Sam calls home, and which aliʻi of old held in great regard.
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My lauhala hat can be worn going to the beach, working in the garden or getting dressed up to go holoholo for a night on the town. Whatever the occasion, we cherish these prized hats and the workmanship it takes to ulana (weave) these pāpale (hats). This is a good fun song written by Aunty ʻAina Kekoʻolani Keawe about one’s love for their lauhala hat.
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This mele inoa was composed by Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett for Waiau, who is also called Kawaikauikeaoiluna. Waiau is a goddess who takes the form of a lake on the top of Mauna Kea. She is known for being unique, for possessing the powers to heal and she is beloved for her nurturing character.
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Hālau founder and late Kumu Hula O’Brian Eselu wrote this mele to honor the land, the sacred pond of Anianikū, the Aʻeloa wind and the Pālaʻilaʻi rain. Lanikūhonua (heaven on earth) is a place where the hālau has gathered for the past 28 years and it provides the needed inspiration for hula. The hālau dedicates its performance to the kahu of Lanikūhonua, Aunty Nettie Tiffany, who is the daughter of the original kahu, Lei Fernandez.
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This composition was penned by Kumu Keawe Lopes to honor the ʻāina hānau of his beloved uncle, the late Kapena Raymond Keawe Alapaʻi. The mele pays tribute to the ʻohana paniolo, the pana ʻāina and moʻolelo of Puʻuanahulu that was often shared by Alapaʻi. It allows us to celebrate, preserve and perpetuate the many beautiful moʻolelo woven within.
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Following a visit to the home of Dr. Michael and Bina Chun in Waimea, Julian Keikilani Ako composed this enchanting mele, “He ʻOlu.” The generous hospitality of the family and the beautiful, lush surroundings were his inspiration. The song expresses his feelings of contentment, security and a sense of calmness while in the home nestled in the shelter and protection of Mauna Kea.
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“E Kiss Kāua” tells of the kolohe antics of two lovers being drenched by the Kilihune rain of Lanihuli. While the sweet breath of a tender liko lokelani is being enjoyed, the mele cautions not to burden oneself by the gossiping crabs in town, but rather continue to delight in the nectar of the honeysuckle flower. This spirited tune was originally composed as a mele maʻi by Rev. Dennis Kamakahi for his eldest son.
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Composed as a tradtional mele wehi for the goddess of the snow, Poliahu, the words of the song honor the area called Puʻuhuluhulu as the adornment of lofty Mauna Kea. Haku mele Chad Takatsugi pays tribute to Poliahu, the woman who dwells in the cold and he mentions the beautiful and hardy ʻaʻaliʻi shrubs standing firmly amid the mist and the Kaiāulu wind.
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Honoring the legacy of Kumu Leināʻala’s Kumu Hula, Rae Fonseca, this mele highlights the fun, beauty and heritage of Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi. Through this composition by Kumu George Nāʻope, we shall always remember wahi pana such as Palahemo where natives such as Uncle George’s grand-aunt once told him “If you haven’t been to Palahemo, you haven’t seen Kaʻū!”
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Urging the people of Hawaiʻi to be proud of our heritage, this mele encourages us to seek knowledge and to preserve the traditions left to us by our kūpuna. Written more than 40 years ago by Palani Vaughan, the same message holds true today. Each of us must look to the future by unifying as a lāhui to uphold our culture and respect sacred places, to seek knowledge and move progressively toward the future.
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“Lovely ʻAla Melia” was composed in honor of Kamaka Kukona’s late mother, ʻAla Pagay Vise. Her most favorite flower was the plumeria. Everyday before going to work, she would make a rosette of plumeria flowers to wear in her hair. The fragrance when wafted in the breeze is a constant reminder of her everlasting presence in the lives of her ʻohana.
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This mele aloha ʻāina is dedicated to Ka ʻOhana Casco of Mailepai, Maui. It is through their ʻike and moʻolelo of the ʻāina a me ke kai that this mele came to be. The Casco ʻohana has been an important part of our hālau for many years–Dad supports us in all we do; Mom and their keiki dance with us.
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The mele hula “Hiʻilawe Song” was composed by Samuel Liʻa Kalainaina Sr. in 1892. Sam Liʻa spent most of his life in and around Waipiʻo Valley. However, in a songbook compiled by Sonny Cunha, the song was attributed to two other women with tunes that are, indeed, distinctly different from each other–Mrs. Kuakini named her song “Hāliʻalaulani” and Martha K. Maui named her song “Ke Aloha Poinaʻole.”
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The Songbird of Hawaiʻi, Lena Machado, wrote “Hoʻonanea” to poetically express the emotions of falling in love. Once a love connection has been made, the experience can be as natural as a bird sipping the nectar of a flower or the moonlight dancing on the water. Let’s get lost in love and hoʻonanea to the lyrics and melody of this Hawaiian classic.
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Placed high above all others, Pualani is the epitome of an innocent heart’s desire. To find comfort knowing that our love may always remain a dream...of what could have been...or what will be. “Pualani, will you always remain there, just above?” asks the composer, John Enos. His reply to this is, “Everyone has a Pualani; realize it and cherish it.”
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The rainbow goddess of Mānoa, Kahalaopuna, was betrothed to a man filled with such jealousy and rage that he eventually took her life. Through these trials, her ʻaumakua (the pueo) watched over her and brought her back to life. The intoxicating beauty of the sacred one of Mānoa is renowned throughout the land, for she is the embodiment of devotion, commitment and love.
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Placed high above all others, Pualani is the epitome of an innocent heart’s desire. To find comfort knowing that our love may always remain a dream...of what could have been...or what will be. “Pualani, will you always remain there, just above?” asks the composer, John Enos. His reply to this is, “Everyone has a Pualani; realize it and cherish it.”
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This medley blends three beloved classic mele of Kumu Hula Rae Fonseca. These three tunes celebrate being in love, the fun of the tease and precious moments spent together. The men dance in tribute to Kumu Rae’s teachings. Enjoy the swing, attitudes and joy expressed by the ʻōlapa as they perform songs that remind us why we love the hula!
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This mele was composed by Lydia “Mama” Bray who commemorates early interisland travel by well-recognized sailing vessels. Where is the one-masted schooner going? It is anchored carefully, waiting for the right wind. Here come the fair winds...slack the lines at the bow, hoist the sail and go!
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Kākuhihewa was the 15th ruling chief of Oʻahu and one of the few high-ranking chiefs who was born at Kūkaniloko, a sacred birthing site on Oʻahu. Two temple pahu named ʻŌpuku and Hāwea were sounded, announcing his birth to all awaiting news of the newborn aliʻi. The maile lau liʻiliʻi of Koʻiahi referenced in the chant was said to be one of the finest small-leafed maile on Oʻahu–a maile noted for its fragrant scent as well.
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“Hanohano Nuʻuanu Aia I Uka” was composed in honor of Queen Kapiʻolani, beloved wife of King David Laʻamea Kalākaua. This is a hula ʻanoho, a combination of the ʻōlapa, a standing hula, and the kuhi lima, a sitting and gesturing hula. According to Mary Kawena Pukuʻi, who, along with her hānai daughter, Aunty Pat Nāmaka Bacon, learned this hula ʻanoho while studying under Hula Master Keahi Luahine in the 1930s, “Nuʻuanu place names were used to veil the people represented.”
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Kaʻauhelumoa, the supernatural rooster from Kaʻau Crater in Pālolo is memorialized in this mele inoa. When challenging the Oʻahu chief Kākuhihewa in Waikīkī, this rooster furiously scratches the earth and then disappears. At that very spot of sandy soil, the chief plants niu which would multiply into an ulu niu (coconut grove) of over 10,000 trees and the land would acquire the name “Helumoa” meaning “chicken scratch.”
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Choosing the direct route through the forested territory of the moʻo, Panaʻewa, Hiʻiaka recognizes the dangers that lay ahead, but she remains keenly focused on the urgency of her errand. Fully aware of the exhausting battle that will ensue with Panaʻewa, Hiʻiaka foresees the grueling terrain that lies beyond at Hilo Palikū, and describes both situations appropriately. The dancers invoke the many forms of Hiʻiaka, while also entreating her abilities to heal and regenerate life.
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At their first Merrie Monarch Festival in 1979, Nā Wai ʻEhā O Puna performed this hula under the direction of their founders Thaddeus Wilson and O’Brian Eselu. The mele uses metaphors in nature to describe a special encounter. The hālau dedicates this performance to their beloved founders as it takes them back to the hālau’s beginnings, traditions, lineage and roots!
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The composer of this hula ʻālaʻapapa was Lolokū. The poetry used within the mele encourages health and long life and inspires hope in the face of widespread adversity and illness. Seeking a healthy recovery and peace of both mind as well as spirit draws heavily from humility, repentance and gratitude. “E ola nā iwi, e ola koa, e ola ē! May we live a long healthy life.”
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On the beach at Nanahuki, Hiʻiakaikapoliopele learns “Ke Haʻa Lā Puna I Ka Makani” from her beloved friend Hōpoe. This mele hula captures the happiness they shared performing this dance on the shores with the wind caressing the hala groves of Puna, “Hula leʻa wale...” The dancers provide glimpses of Puna through their portrayal of the rhythmic sea swells, the gentle breeze and the graceful sway of the hala tree.
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On a drive from Lāhaina to Kīhei, Kumu Hula Cody Pueo Pata lamented over the dry and barren riverbeds of the south side of Maui. Kumu Pueo was perplexed by the irony of the place names of areas such as Waiākoa, Kūlanihākoʻi and Waipuʻilani, indicating a past profusion of water. Through this mele, he entreats the waters to return in their myriad of forms and to flow once again.
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Uncle George Nāʻope and his haumana, the late Kumu Hula Rae Fonseca, composed this mele to pay tribute to the strength and beauty of Pele. The hula vividly revitalizes concerns raised in the 1980s over the construction of the geothermal plant in Kapoho which lay in Pele’s path over a year ago. The mana of nature and the actions of humans and gods are at the heart of this mele.
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The traditional mele, “No Luna I Ka Hale Kai O Ka Maʻalewa” describes Hiʻiaka’s supernatural powers, particularly her ability to see and hear from great distances. From the heights on the northern shores of Kauaʻi, she sees the lehua forests of Puna and hears the rustling pebbles on the shores of Keaʻau, on Hawaiʻi Island. Although there are many variations of this mele, this hula performance traces back five generations to the late Kumu Hula Lokalia Montgomery.