It’s incomprehensible now to imagine absolutely no one wanting to sign Kealii Reichel to a recording contract or put him in a studio. But, once upon an apparently unenlightened time in artist acquisition in the Hawaii music industry, that was the case. In 1993, armed with a cassette tape of songs he’d written and home-recorded, and hoping to […]
This year’s installation of the so-called “Superbowl of Hula,” the 2015 Merrie Monarch festival, concluded on Sat., April 11. The annual Hilo-based festival’s three days of competitive events are its most popular draw. Each evening features a different competition: Solo dancers performed on Thursday, on Friday hula halau (dance troupes) performed kahiko (traditional) hula and
Hawaii is surrounded by miles and miles of open ocean, a continent of water. It’s fitting then that a huge annual expo celebrating all things sea takes place in Honolulu each year. This year’s 7th annual Hawaii Ocean Expo will be held at the Neil S. Blaisdell Center Sat., April 11 and Sun., April 12.
Don’t want to wait til fall to see Hawaii International Film Festival’s (HIFF) impressive lineup of foreign and indie films? If you’re in Honolulu this week, you’re in luck! The popular festival presents its smaller Spring Showcase with 33 films playing at two theaters in Honolulu starting this Friday (April 10). The event provides a
The first day of competition at the prestigious 52nd annual Merrie Monarch Festival, a showcase of hula and Hawaiian culture, kicks off tonight (Thurs., April 9). For this year’s 24 competing hula halau (dance troupes), and 10 competing soloist Miss Aloha Hula 2015 contestants, the festival is the pinnacle of the last year—and for many,
The Merrie Monarch Festival, arguably the world’s most anticipated and prestigious hula competition, kicks off its 52nd year this weekend on Hawaii Island. Venues around Hilo, where the annual event is held, are already prepping for the celebration’s world-class hula competitions, exhibitions, entertainment, craft fairs and Royal Parade through downtown. The weeklong festival runs from
If you’re on Maui this weekend, don’t miss the annual Maui County Ag Festival. The one-day-only fest, now in its eighth year, was voted one of the top agricultural festivals or fairs in the state in our 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards polls. The event brings together farmers, ranchers and their products with the visitors, area
Hawaii’s humpback whales may soon find more space and more protected species sharing their safe winter playground. Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a proposed rule outlining their plans to expand the size and scope of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine
This Sunday, popular Hawaii artists and notable area hula troupes will convene on the grounds of Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu for an all-day family-friendly, free-to-the-public concert and showcase of Hawaiian culture. The 2nd annual Ola Ka Ha (which translates loosely to the essence of the Hawaiian people lives on) celebration includes live music, hula
If you spotted a hala (pandanus or screw pine) plant in Hawaii and didn’t know any better, it would be easy to discount it as just another tropical plant. But this strange looking vegetation—twisted and palm-like in appearance with pineapple-shaped fruits and hovering in size somewhere between a tree and a shrub—has been a significant
Honolulu will be a touch greener than your average Tuesday tomorrow. Each March 17, thousands of visitors and residents head into Waikiki for a noon parade before flooding Chinatown Arts District’s so-called “Irish Corner,” near the intersection of Nuuanu Ave. and Merchant Street. There, nighttime revelry stretches into the wee hours with a block party
The sands and waters off Waikiki will play host to the 30th annual Duke Kahanamoku Beach Challenge this Sun., March 15. The one-day only event will bring traditional Hawaiian competitive events, outrigger canoe races, entertainment and a craft fair to the Duke Kahanamoku Beach and Lagoon fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki and the Duke
