Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 3, 1 Malaki 2013 — CULTURE, COMPETITION AND CAMARADERIE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CULTURE, COMPETITION AND CAMARADERIE

>1 ■ ■ _» -Li BY FRANCINE KANANIONAPUA MURRAY Contributing pbotos by: Hiek Masagatani, Blaine Fergerstrom and courtesy ■

In honor of King Kalākaua, who revived the Hawaiian dance in the 19th century, the 50th Merrie Monarch Festival will celebrate the event's evolution from its early years as entertainment to what it has heeome since: a competition that attracts aficionados the world over. As part of the March 3 1 to April 6 celebration in Hilo, many original kumu and dancers will be honored at the Hō'ike on Wednesday, April 3, as a half century of honoring Hawai'i's Merrie Monarch culminates in the participants themselves being honored. Here, in a nod to the milestone event, the festival president, a judge, a TV announcer, kumu and a dancer share their Merrie Monarch insights.

ALEGACYOF HULA As long as she ean remember, the Merrie Monarch Festival has been a part of Aloha Dalire's life. "It has taught me how to research, interpret and perform

tne meie or tnose wno nave eome before me to the highest level. It's been a forum to share my family genealogy with all hula practitioners and hula audiences worldwide. | I am proud to pass this knowledge ! down to my three daughters and j know that they will eonhnue our i family legacy of hula," said Dalire, the first Miss Hula winner (1971),

me uue s uame ueioie n ueeame Miss Aloha Hula. All three of Dalire's daughters

have followed in her footsteps and won the title: Kapua Dali-re-Moe in 1991, Kau'i Dalire in 1992, and Keola Dalire in 1999. Aloha Dalire's proudest moment at Merrie Monarch was sharing the stage with her daughters the year her youngest daughter, Keola, passed the title to the next winner in 2000. The four Dalire women danced together on stage to "Ē Ku'u Sweet Lei Poina 'Ole," their family song. "It was a proud moment for me as a mother, and I needed to find a special plaee to thank my own mother for paving my path for me," said Aloha Dalire. "I'm happy that I could bring honor to my mother and all those who have eome before me." JUDGED ON THEIRMERIT Nālani Kanaka'ole is a kumu hula of Hālau o Kekuhi, a highly respected Hilo hālau known for its 'ai ha'a, a lowpostured and bombastic, style of hula and oli. But when Kanaka'ole comes to the Merrie Monarch Festival, it's not to compete - it's to judge.

ine arcmiecis oi ine ivierrie ivionarcn nuia eompetition took King Kalākaua's example of reviving the hula and the arts in hopes that it would encourage the art form. At the time there were expressed concerns about the future of hula and the arts," said Kanaka'ole, who along with sister Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele, inherited leadership of Hālau o Kekuhi from their late mother, Edith Kanaka'ole. (Pualani has since relinquished her role to her daughters, Kekuhi Keali'ikanaka'oleohaililani and Huihui Kanahele-Mossman.)

roriNaiam is.anaKa oie, inere are iwo nawanan aris that stand out globally: the hula and he'e nalu (surfing). With that international exposure comes a risk of losing authenticity, she says. "When there is that kind of acceptance of an art form, there is dissemination of knowledge. The major eoneem was that there is an ongoing proper use of the old mele hula, its format and the rituals. It was a eoneem of the judges in the younger years of Merrie Monarch, and now more so." Nonetheless, Kanaka'ole says, judges have a goodrapport with the participating kumu "in that we act as a forum for what is put out there for all to see." "In the '90s, Auntie Dot (Thompson) got thejudges andthe kumu together," Kanaka 'ole recalls. And by 2000, the festival had tightened its rules looking for authenticity in traditional numbers being performed as a means to perpetuate the art. "The rules for the hula kahiko would reflect the requirements of the rituals for hula, especially in lei, costuming, chanting and dancing style," Kanaka'ole says. "When this was done, it leveled the playing field. It encouraged research, and there is accuracy in the dissemination of hula knowledge. Besides, it produces a better imprint for the worldtosee."

THE TEACHER BECOMES THE STUDENT As a dancer, chanter, musician, TV commentator and a kumu hula leading his own haumāna into competition, Manu Boyd has had many roles over the past three decades.

Last year Boyd entered the competition as a kumu for a sixth time, and his Hālau o ke 'A'ali'i Kū Makani was honored with the first plaee overall wāhine trophy. "Merrie Monarch has fostered excellence and discipline in my dancers, and in me, too," says Boyd. "Our focus is always on how to best present mele in ways that are tradition-based with a fresh approach that ean be enjoyed by both the performers and spectators." Boyd is among the scores of dancers from various hālau who will perform at the Hō'ike on April 3. The hālau Boyd graduated from is sending 50 dancers past and present to perform together for the first time on stage. "I look forward to this year's Hō'ike, as I'll be dancing with my kumu, Robert Uluwehi Cazimero, and my hula brothers in Hālau Nā Kamalei O Lllllehua." He will also be joining the broadcast team again for the three-night televised competition, "where I'll hopefully be able to share some mana'o based on decades of experience," he says. "I have the utmost respect and aloha for (organizer) Luana (Kawelu) and her army of volunteers. It's a blessing to have known so many of the hula 'greats' who have nurtured this amazing Hilo festival."

BUILD IT... When Helene Hale heeame County of Hawai'i Chairman in 1963 the county was suffering of the aftereffects of the tsunami that hit Hilo in 1960. She asked Georae Nā'ope to

produce an event to draw visitors to the island. "Hula eame to mind," Nā'ope told Ka Wai 01 a in a 1992 I infpnrip«/ "T 1m/p tn

share what I've leamed about my culture," he said. "It hurts me when I see people doing a hula that is not Hawaiian." Nā'ope, who learned hula from his grandmother Malia Nā'ope, Mary Keli'ikekuewa Ahi'ena Kanaele Fujii and Joseph 'Ilala'ole, considered himself fortunate to have grown up during an era of "great masters" who took him in and guided him. "Do it right. That's the main

tmng. i iearned tnis aii tor free. They shared with me and that's the Hawaiian way," said Nā'ope, a founder of both the Merrie Monarch Festival and the King Kalākaua Invitational Hula Festival.

Asked to describe the Hawaiian dance, Nā'ope, who died in 2009, mulled it over before replying: "King Kalākaua said the hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people." "The hula," Nā'ope added, "is my heartbeat."

DANCING ON AIR Dancer Robert Aukai Reyn-

olds of Halau I Ka Wekiu first competed in 2003, but it wasn't until 9007 thp in thf/hā1fin HpniHi

to take it to the next level. With the tacit blessing of their kumu hula, Miehael Casupang and Karl Veto Baker, the older

lead dancers īn the halau, including

Reynolds, took the initiative to push themselves harder and put in extra practices as a corps. It

brought the dancers together $ as a team, and even more as a fami1v. The resu1t? "We

performed both our numbers exactly the way we wanted to," he says. Their extra efforts were rewarded. As the scores were being announced, Reynolds kept track: "I said, I think my math is

wrong because if it is right we are going to

_ win by one point." Hālau I Ka Wēkiu won first plaee overall by a single point - the hālau's first overall title. "Everyone was cheering and my kumu turned around, gave

me a hug, looked at me and said, 'thank you.' That was a big moment for me that I will never forget." In 2012, the dancers took a different approach. They

wanted to thoroughly enjoy every part of the r, experience. They practiced just as rigorously, but infused their practices with joy. Again, 7 Hālau I Ka Wēkiu won first plaee overall. "We were always taught that it's not about the competition, it's about the performance - how well you do as an individual and as a group,

because everyone has their own interpretation of whether or not what you did is right or not." Reynolds says: "If we do well that's enough for us, and if we are recognized for that, it's great. But that's not our , _ goal to win. It's just the extra icing on the eake."

Merrie Monarch Festival > Ho'olaule'a Sunday, March 31, 9 a.m. Hālau perform at this free celebration. Kumu Hula Sammye Ann Young, who received her papa 'ūniki from the late Kumu Hula Rae Fonseca, will dance with the Hālau Hula '0 Kahikilaulani haumāna. Civic Auditorium. > Beard and barbershop quartet contest Monday and Tuesday, Apnl 1 and 2 The inaugural festival featured a King Kalākaua beard look-alike contest and a barbershop quartet contest. Mo'oheau Park Bandstand in downtown Hilo. > Hō'ike Wednesday, Apnl 3, 5:45 p.m. The Hō'ike will honor the old-time hālau, with performances by the Kanaka'oles, the Hau'oli Hula Girls, 'llima Hula Studio, Leina'ala Kalama Heine's Nā Pualei o Likolehua, the men of Nā Kamalei with Kumu Robert Cazimero, and the late Kumu Hula Darrell Lupenui's men of Waimapuna. All the Miss Aloha Hula winners will join Aloha Dalire, the first Miss Aloha Hula winner, on stage. On TV: 8 to 10 p.m. KFVE.

> Arts and crafts fair Wednesday through Saturday,

Apnl 3 to 5, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; April 6, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. i Afook Chinen Civic I Auditorium. > Miss Aloha Hula Thursdav, Apnl 4

Solo competition in whieh hula kahiko, 'auana and oli are judged, in the Edith Kanaka'ole Tennis Stadium. The Hawaiian Language Award is sponsored by OHA. Televised on KFVE from 6 to 11:30 p.m.

> Hula Kahiko Friday, April 5 Hālau perform ancient style hula

in the Edith Kanaka'ole Tennis Stadium. On TV: 6 to 11:30 p.m. KFVE

> Hula 'Auana and Awards

Saturday, April 6 Hālau perform modern īula, followed by the

announcement of awards, in the Edith Kanaka'ole Tennis Stadium. On TV: 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. KFVE

...AND THEYWILL COME Although delightful in the early years - marked by song, a King Kalākaua beard lookalike contest, relays, a pageant and hula - the festival struggled. It wasn't until 1971 when the late Dottie Thompson suggested competitive hula and organizers invited hālau to enter that momentum began to grow. People flocked to watch. In the early 1980s, KITV started televising the annual event. "Merrie Monarch has helped Hilo town bigtime, but to me that is a side benefit. The cultural part is priceless," says Thompson's daughter Luana Kawelu, presi-

I dent ol the nonproht I Merrie Monarch Festival. "I think those that are invited, they are the ones that have deep roots and they I have done a lot of research. I don't want to slight anyone, but I

ieei ine oesi eome io Merrie Monarch and we are sharing the best with the world." This year the festival offices received more than 9,400 ticket requests in 4,700 letters. Merrie Monarch has 4,200 seats, but about half go to the hālau. In essence, the festival had about 2,100 tickets for the general puhlie and had to decline over 7,000 requests. Many people called the office, some hurt, and some angry. Kawelu said it broke her heart to turn so many down. This year's number of ticket requests was unusually high because of the 50th anniversary. "It is a blessing that so many people love hula and want to be a part of it," Kawelu says. For Kawelu, one of the highlights of this anniversary event will be Aunty Pauline Kekahuna's graceful Hau'oli Hula Girls, the first winners of the group competition in 1971, who will return to dance at the Hō'ike. A few of the ladies are 80 and older, and one of the original dancers who is now in a wheelchair is very excited to be a part of the celebration, Kawelu says. "This year is really going to be something, just watch and see." ■

1 MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL CELEBRATES A HALF CENTURY OF HULA

no'olelo nui • cover feature

www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS

k Kalōkaua. - Pboto: m David Cbrenko - American Pboto Colorizing.com/ 3 Laurel Douglass

Aiona uanre, cenrer, wirn aaugnrers, from left, Kapua, Kau'i and Keola.

Kawelu

Thompson