Today marks the maiden voyage of the Hokulea, the first double-hulled Hawaiian voyaging canoe to set sail since the time of Kamehameha the Great, from the Hawaiian Islands to Tahiti. It was a major achievement that sparked a thriving interest, awareness and perpetuation of traditional, non-instrument Polynesian navigation to this day. Adjacent to the current […]
When the Hokulea first sailed around Hawaii in the early ’70s, many described it as the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. Its magnetism drew people to it and brought with it a resurgence of Hawaiian pride. “Hawaiian families would picnic and spend a whole day at the beach just to stare at the
After two nights of group hula competition, the 54th annual Merrie Monarch Festival at the Edith Kanakaole Stadium in Hilo, Hawaii Island concluded with awards given to the best halau (groups) in the Islands. Twenty-nine halau (20 wahine, nine kane) vied for top awards with their kahiko (ancient) and auana (modern) performances, telling moolelo (legends)
When it’s in full swing, the Merrie Monarch Festival brings out more than just the best in hula. Off the stage, attendees put on a quite a show of their own in stylish clothing, headwear and accessories. Floral prints, intricate lei and a bold affinity for color found their way onto the crowd this year,
The chants about Panaewa Forest, which lies between Kilauea and the ocean on Hawaii Island, describe it as having been created by the violent force of Pele and healed by Hiiaka. It became a lush rain forest, with towering ohia lehua trees and red lehua rain. The environment was rich with every plant needed for healing
We hope you’re ready for another year of phenomenal hula and Hawaiian music as the 54th annual Merrie Monarch Festival gets underway tomorrow, Thursday, April 20 through Saturday, April 22 in Hilo, Hawaii. Though tickets have been sold out for months, you can still enjoy the competition from the comforts of home. Each moment is captured live on television,
One of the best-known families in Hawaii, the Lim ohana (family), is a talented force to behold. They include the musical group The Lim Family and hula practitioners leading an award-winning halau hula (hula group). “When we travel homeward, we are greeted by the two significant puu (hills) of our wahi pana (storied places), Pili and
It’s the hottest ticket in Hawaii—the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, Hawaii Island this week. Beginning with Easter Sunday, a week of festivities will culminate with amazing hula performances under the bright lights of the Edith Kanakaole Stadium for three nights of competition (all Hawaii Standard Time): Miss Aloha Hula: Thursday, April 20, 6 to
When Kayli Kaiulani Carr took the stage at last year’s Merrie Monarch Festival, the world’s most respected hula competition, she left spectators speechless. Her award-winning performances during Miss Aloha Hula, the contest for its prestigious solo title, brought a powerful duality to the stage (her oli, a rapid-fire and intense Hawaiian chant alone, was must-see
Every Spring, Hilo comes alive during the annual Merrie Monarch Festival—an internationally-acclaimed celebration of Hawaii’s most beloved art form, the hula. Three nights of exhilarating competition unite a total of 28 men’s and women’s hula halau (groups) from across the Hawaiian Islands and the continental U.S. this year, alongside visiting dancers from Asia and Polynesian
Even if you’ve never been to Hawaii, chances are you’ve caught wind of the name Pele, the legendary Hawaiian goddess who makes her home in Kilauea’s Halemaumau Crater. Photo: Wikipedia Commons Look at all that steam. Someone must be home … There are many moolelo (legends) surrounding the deity to Kilauea and multiple portraits of
Uhi (Hawaiian tattoo) expert Keone Nunes sits, tattooing one of his four haumana (students) in the room—echoing the traditions of times long past—as long-time apprentice Keliiokalani Makua observes. The rhythmic tapping of his moli (tattooing needle) inside Waianae’s iconic Hale Ola Hoopakolea building is syncopated with the drops of light rain outside. Over the rhythmic beats,
