Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 8, 1 August 1988 — International Flavor Spices Hula Competition [ARTICLE]

International Flavor Spices Hula Competition

I Aunty Genoa Keawe Honored on Auana Night

By Kenny Haina, Editor Ka Wai Ola O OHA An intemational blend of 47 total dance performances by halau from Hawai'i, California and Tokyo, Japan, and a heartwarming surprise appearance by honored guest Aunty Genoa Keawe combined to give a bumper crowd of Hawaiian hula enthusiasts two nights of scintillating entertainment never before witnessed here in a long time. It was the 15th Annual King Kamehameha Hula Competition June 24-25 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena where nostalgia onee more reigned supreme during the hula auana or modern dance competition featuring eaeh of the halau dancing to a song or songs recorded and sung by Aunty Genoa during her more than 40 years as an entertainer. Opening night on June 24 featured fivechanters in the chant division competition and 22 dance performances in the kahiko dance division. The winner was Lehua Hulihe'e of Kumu Hula John Kaha'i Topolinski's Ka Pa Hula Hawai'i. Her chant was "He Mele Aloha No Kamehameha." Topolinski's halau took first plaee in the male division of the kahiko competition and his women's entry placed third in their division. Winner in the combined division was Kumu Hula Piilani Lua Plemer's Halau O Waimea from Waimea Falls Park. Tokyo's very first entry in the competition included 14 Japanese nationals from Hula Halau Mehana O Ka La under Kumu Hula Kuuleinani Hashimoto, also a Japanese citizen. They were warmly applauded by the crowd and they responded with a very beautiful and disciplined performance of "Kua Loloa Kea'au I Ka Na Helehele" whieh is taken from the epie poem of Pele and Hi'iaka. The Tokyo halau even brought along its own supporters who occupied two rows of seats on the arena level. The entertainment treat on opening night was the appearance of Tangaroa Teamaru Ariki of Takitumu, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, who presented two of his native chants. Ariki is a paramount taunga or kahuna nui to Kainuku Ariki. His first chant was a greeting from all the Ariki (ali'i) of Rarotonga to King Kamehameha and to the people of Hawai'i. His second recounted the epie events ascribing mana to Tangaroa's marae, Vai-ro-ta, located at the entrance to Muri Lagoon. Judges for this first night of competition were Pat Namaka Bacon, Edith McKinzie and Kalena Silva. Hula auana the following night was spiced by beautiful costumes and the very first competition appearance of a senior citizens group from Kaneohe — Na Kupuna O Ko'olau under Kumu Hula Miehael and James Dela Cruz. The kupuna intricately danced to "Ahuli'i," bringing the crowd to its feet while appiauding wildly. Na Kupuna O Ko'olau, composed of a diverse ethnic mix as found only in Hawai'i, took first plaee honors in the combined division. The crowd got a good roaring laugh when one of the group's male dancers walked to accept the first plaee award with the aid of a eane whieh was nowhere to be seen when they performed their hula earlier. The female division ended in a first plaee tie with Na Hula O Puamana (Kumu Hula Puluelo Park and Pumehana Featheran) and Puka'ikapuaokaleini under Kumu Hula Ellen Smith Castillo. The male division title went to the three men of Kumu Hula Allan Makahinu Barcarse of Halau Hula O Ka Ua Kilihune. Barcarse, a former Waikiki entertainer, has been deeply involved with hula and Hawaiian studies at Castle High and King Intermediate Schools the past several years. He also taught Japanese language at the University of Hawai'i. During a break while the scores were being eomputed, Executive Director R. M. Keahi Allen of the sponsoring State Council on Hawaiian Heritage announced to the crowd that the night's surprise

entertainment treat was going to be Aunty Genoa herself. Taking the floor at the far end of the arena, Aunty Genoa broke into song and it was time for ehieken skin and time for weeping and remembering. The honoree was soon showered with leis and kisses as friends, visitors and ohana lined up to pay their respect. It was a heartwarming and tear-jerk-ing moment. Aunty Genoa, who had announced she will be 70 in October, did not disappoint the crowdasshe broke into song time and again, mueh to the delight of those assembled. She still reaches those high notes with seemingly little effort. She was accompanied by three of her sons and a grandson who had been there to play for various halau. Then all the kumu hula, judges Leilani Alama, Lorraine Daniels, Blossom Kunewa and Tootsie Notley Steer and many of the halau dancers joined in a mass hula on the arena floor and in the balcony areas. Aunty Genoa had interspersed her singing with some nostalgic stories and anecdotes from her entertainment life. It is Hawaiian music, she said, whieh she loves so dearly "even though I made lots of mistakes in pronouncing the words properly when I first started out." It was a night to remember for those who attended the bargain program ($5 and $7.50) and they were buzzing with excitement over the thrilling performances of all the halau and the superb entertainment given by Aunty Genoa. Napua Stevens, mother of Mrs. Allen and a Lunalilo Home trustee, was mistress of ceremonies

both nights. The complete results, with halau listed first and kumu hula, alaka'i or instructors following, are: CHANT DIVISION 1. Lehua Hulihe'e, Ka Pa Hula Hawai'i. 2. Victoria Ing, Ka Pa Hula Hawai'i. 3. Joshua Ha'alilio Heyer, Pumehana Ka Hale Hula O'Kolea. HUIA KAHIKO (Male) 1. Ka Pa Hula Hawai'i, John Kaha'i Topolinski. 2. Halau O Waimea, Piilani Lua Plemer. 3. Halau Hula O Ka Ua Kilihune, Allan Makahinu Barcarse. (Female) 1. Halau O Na Maoli Pua, Alieia Keolahou Smith. 2. Na Pualei O Likolehua, Lenia'ala Kalama Heine. 3. Ka Pa Hula Hawai'i, John Kaha'i Topolinski. (Combined) 1. Halau O Waimea, Piilani Lua Plemer. 2. Hui Pa Hula O Leianuenue (California), Mahealani Uchiyama. 3. Pumehana Ka Hale Hula O Kolea, Lovena West. HULA AUANA (Male) 1. Halau Hula O Ka Ua Kilihune, Allan Makahinu Barcarse. 2. Halau O Waimea, Piilani Lua Plemer. (Female) 1. Na Hula O Puamana, Puluelo Park and Pumehana Featheran, and Puka'ikapuaokalani, Ellen SmithCastillo, tied. 2. Halau O Na Maoli Pua, Alieia Keeilahou Smith. 3. Keali'ika'apunihonua Ke'ena A'o Hula, Leimomi Ho and Anthony Conjugacion. (Combined) 1. NaKupunaO Ko'olau, Miehael and James DelaCruz. 2. Hui O Kamalei, Kamalei Sataraka. 3. Ka Pa Hula Hawai'i, John Kaha'i Topolinski.