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Over the last 60 years, hula has changed — greatly thanks to the Merrie Monarch Festival.
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Over the last 60 years, hula has changed — greatly in thanks to the Merrie Monarch Festival.
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Running for the coveted title of Miss Aloha Hula is not for the faint of heart.
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Brown was among 12 contestants vying for the prestigious title on Thursday night in Hilo.
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The win was the culmination of stunning hula performances in the kahiko and ‘auana competitions.
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Halau compete on Hula 'Auana Night of the Merrie Monarch Festival.
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Excited keiki and kupuna lined the roadways as families came out to watch the parade.
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Get ready for the biggest hula competition on Earth!
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Get ready for the biggest hula competition on Earth!
Excited keiki and kupuna lined the roadways as families came out to watch the parade.
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Court dancer Emalia Kaihumua spent time away from Hawaiʻi while entertaining on the mainland. She deeply missed the peacefulness and beauty of the Islands. The pinching cold and fog abroad are
compared to a lover; however, as her only source of warmth was a fireplace, she is urged to return home.
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This is a mele composed for the founders, guardians, and caretakers of Ulupō Nui. The name was given by Kailua’s current generation of poʻe aloha ʻāina to the newly restored lands that extend from Ulupō heiau to the banks of the once-and-future fishpond of Kawainui.
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This is a kolohe or playful song that uses the ʻiʻiwi bird to seek out the best nectar of the lehua flowers, but he is unable to dally too long in one place. There is also a fisherman, who seeks the “kole maka onaona,” that “sweet-eyed fish” that got away.
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“Holoholo Wes’side” celebrates the landmarks along the Waiʻanae coast from Kalaeloa to Kaʻena. “Ka ʻIlima” is a tribute to Nettie Tiffany who resides at Lanikūhonua, ʻEwa, Oʻahu. “Kamokila” was
written for Kamokilakawai Campbell who named Lanikūhonua, the breathtaking place, where “... heaven touches the earth.”
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Interisland steamship travel was depended upon for transporting passengers and cargo to ports on neighbor islands. In 1879, Wilder Steamship Company added the Lehua to its fleet. This mele describes Maui’s notable places seen from her deck–the windward cliffs, Keʻanae and the bays of Piʻilani.
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Composed by Hula Master Johnny Lum Ho, this mele describes how the talented paniolo of Waimea skillfully mount wild bulls and ride bucking broncos until they break. Waimea cowboys show you how to lasso and tie the pipi keiki in record time. Hang onto your saddles as we take you to the rodeo of Waimea. UIHA!!!
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“He Mele No Waimea” showcases different places of note in and around Waimea, Kauaʻi. “Nohili Ē draws from nature to express the beauty of love. “(This feeling) is unfamiliar to me, this love that is
happening.” The hālau’s entire performance tonight honors the island of Kauaʻi.
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Hula master Antone Kaʻōʻō, was called upon suddenly to perform for Queen Liliʻuokalani. He recalled an older mele entitled “He Inoa No Kīnaʻu” for inspiration. Kaʻōʻō renamed his version “Liliʻu Ē” and rededicated it to Liliʻuokalani. Often done as a hula kahiko, the wāhine instead choose to revisit this classic as a hula ʻauana.
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This is a composition by “Hawaiʻi’s Song Bird” Lena Machado. She penned this mele sometime in the 1930s, and it was originally recorded with Dick McIntire’s Harmony Hawaiians under the title “Hoʻoipo Hula.” The puana of the mele states “You and I are in the beauties of the Koʻolau, in the adorning of the Pōʻaihale rain.”
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The characteristic features of Koʻolaupoko on the island of Oʻahu are beautifully described in this 1930s mele. The song commemorates the arrival of electricity in Kāneʻohe, the installation of the
telegraph wire and the broken beds of coral at Heʻeia. There is a hint of a delightful love affair.
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Taupōuri Tangarō honors the ʻohana Pai in this composition. He commemorates their long struggles with the Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park as they faced eviction from the land on which they resided since the 1700s. Taupōuri witnessed cultural protocols and felt their aloha.
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Composed by renowned musician Bina Mossman, this mele honors a loved one who is likened to the special lei adorning her shoulders. The sweet fragrance of the lei embraces both lovers tightly. The memory of this beloved lei shall forever be cherished. “My story is for you my beloved lei – With me you shall forever be!”
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John K. Almeida’s composition honors the 1946 Lei Queen, Poʻomaikelani Kawānanakoa. It also celebrates the simple pleasure of wearing a lei of festive, softly scented plumeria. Whether worn or given away, a plumeria lei is a special part of Island life.
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Emma Farden Sharpe, Maui’s beloved kumu hula and musician, composed this mele for ʻUlupalakua Ranch. She was asked to entertain but finding she had no song to praise the place, decided to compose this fun-loving mele on her way up to the ranch that evening. Her mele captures the beauty of the land and the expertise of ʻUlupalakua’s paniolo.
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The festival wrapped up early Sunday with the announcement of the overall winners.
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Waipiʻo Valley on the island of Hawaiʻi is storied as the home of an ancient line of chiefs. It is recognized today for the acres of wetland taro cultivated by generations of farmers in the valley. In
tribute to Waipiʻo, Kainani Kahaunaele composed this mele with aloha for the quiet beauty and majesty of this place.
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In this playful mele, the message is not to quickly judge what you see and hear because there might be another interpretation. This song composed by Kekuhi Kanahele is filled with kaona, double meanings, and it will surely bring a smile to those who understand. The dancers will exit the stage with Aunty Edith Kanakaʻole’s beloved mele “Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai.”
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“Lei Lokelani” was composed in 1922 by Charles E. King while traveling aboard the SS Maui. This mele was dedicated to “Girlie” Hart (Robinson) who later became a Republican senator from Oʻahu in the Hawaiʻi Territorial Legislature. The beauty of the hālau’s homeland, Maui, along with the lovely lokelani blossoms are extolled in these lyrics.
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It was always enjoyable watching Kawai Cockett and his mother “Mama Mahuiki” sing and gesture to “Nā ʻOno O Ka ʻĀina,” a lively song filled with kaona. The different ways of preparing the many types of fish are recalled, along with the kaʻukama kai, the sea cucumber. “Pāpaʻi Hula” documents the ways of catching and preparing delicious crabs found on Kalaʻau, Molokaʻi.
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