Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 7, 1 July 2012 — HULA FOR A PRINCE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HULA FOR A PRINCE

By Lynn Cook Three elders, keepers of knowledge of things Hawaiian, will be honored Iuly 21 at the 35th annual Prince Lot Hula Festival at Moanalua Gardens. The all-day hula party - billed as the largest non-competitive hula event in Hawai'i - is held eaeh year to honor Prince Lot Kapuāiwa's success in bringing back the once-banned hula in the district of Moanalua. The 2012 festival theme: "Laukanaka Ka Hula - A Multitude ofHula Groups Gather'f speaks of those who love hula, those who present hula and the honored keepers of the culture. The day is dedicated to Aunty Edith Kawelohea McKinzie, composer, professor and kumu hula; Aunty Patience Namaka Bacon, hula master, scholar and hānai daughter of scholar Mary Kawena Pukui; and Iames Ka'upena Wong, master of chant, educator and a "voice" of fihn and television productions. Eaeh of the honorees is an accomplished judge for multiple hula competitions. Like the giant monkeypod trees of Moanalua Gardens, the branches of the three revered kūpuna reach out to protect and shade, with roots reaching deep for a firm foundation for generations of growth in hula, chant and the quest for cultural knowledge. Arriving early with low-back beach chairs and mats is always a good idea. This year the opening hō'ike will be a "don't

miss" event. Kumu hula Manu Boyd has composed and will present his special mele for the honorees as they are presented with the Moanalua Gardens Foundations Kukui o Lota Award. From a distance, the gardens - ablaze with colorful palettes during the festival - resemble a French Impressionist painting with people rechning on pastel blankets or strolling past the reflecting pond fronting the cottage of Prince Lot Kapuāiwa. Up close the crowd is a mix of loeal hula fans and visitors from lapan to Gennany and across the U.S. continent. Parking is plentiful, crafters and food booths are enticing. Sales of the 35th anniversary festival T-shirts and buttons support the event. Festival sponsors include the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawai'i Tourism Authority, National Endowment for the Arts, City and County of Honolulu, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Kamehameha Schools, Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, O'ahu Visitors Bureau, Hawaiian Airlines and many other loeal businesses. ■ Lynn Cook is a localfreelance journalist sharing the arts and culture ofHawai'i with a global audience.

Prince Lot Hula Festival

> When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., July 21 >Where: Moanalua Gardens > Cost: Free > I nf 0: (808) 839-5334 or moanaluagardensfoundation.org

The graceful keiki of Hālau Hula Olana, under the direction of kumu hula Olana and Howard Ai. - Courtesy: Moanalua Gardens Foundation