Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 6, 1 June 2019 — Songs of discovery [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Songs of discovery

MO'OMEHEU CULTURE

By Ikaika Hussey For Taizha Keakealani Hughes-Kaluhiokalani, winning Miss Aloha Hula in the 2019 Merrie Monarch Festival was more than a title, but a voyage of personal discovery. Her kumu hula, Robert Ke'ano Kaupu IV and Lono Padilla, chose a series of mele that tied in, with equal parts serendipity and grace, to Taizha's own mo'okūa'uhau, or genealogy. "It always starts with song ehoiee," Ka'upu told me, in their second floor hālau in Kalihi Kai, O'ahu. That process began by asking Taizha for her genealogy, whieh her mother brought in a folder. As a Big Island native, Kaupu recognized some of them from the lore of his island. They went online to the archive of Hawaiian language newspapers,

and found a mele from the late1890s newspaper Ka Leo o ka Lāhui, a song whieh was eomposed for one of Taizha's kupuna, Abigaila Kalanikūikepo'oloku. "The mele was published by her grandchildren in order to lay elaim to her genealogy," HughesKaluhiokalani said. That mele connected Kalanikūikepo'oloku to her ancestor Līloa, a famous chief from the classical era of Hawaiian ali'i. According to our history, Līloa and the lower-ranking chiefess Akahi-a-Kuleana gave birth to 'Umi-a-Liloa. 'Umi's own story is about discovery and claiming his genealogy; though his mother (who raised him) was from a lower station, Liloa left a few items - a kā'ei sash and his malo - for the boy to use to later elaim his position at the top of Hawaiian society. When he reached adult-

hood 'Umi went on a now-famous adventure to elaim his plaee in the pantheon of Hawaiian chiefs, including raising an army to ehallenge his older brother Hākau for leadership and seeing to it that the

most at-risk in Hawaiian i society - the elderly and I the infirm - would be I cared for. 'Umi found his plaee in the universe. And now i his mo'opuna, Taizha Keakealani Hughes-Ka- i luhiokalani, has found hers as well. ; "It feels good. It feels good. ;

b e e au s e

they think that she, it feels good because it's her," Ka'upu said of win in the annual hula eompetition. It's a victory that is the product of years of work, from when Taizha began dancing hula more than a decade ago. "Like every journey, it doesn't always feel good throughout the whole journey journey. There's always some bumps in... the dancer teaches the kumu just as mueh as the kumu teaches the dancer, and inspires the kumu just as mueh as the kumu inspires the dancer," Kaupu said. "I never felt like her intent was to win a title. Her intent was to represent her hālau and her kumu; to bring her kūpuna on that stage; to learn more about her kūpuna - and to learn how to carry her kūpuna with her, not just on the stage, but any plaee that she goes." ■

Taizha Keakealani HughesKaluhiokalani. - Photo: Keola Amkaki

Mele Kumu Hula Robert Keano Kaupu IV eomposed this mele ka'i for Taizha Keakealani Hughes-Kaluhiokalani's award-winning 2019 Merrie Monarch performance. Lei Waipi'o Na Robert Keano Kaupu IV Lei Waipi'o i ka ua noenoe Lei ali'i i ka 'ōnohi 'ula Lei ānuenue pipi'o i luna Lei ua koko, pili i ka hōnua Puka mai e ka pua o Līloa Ho'okahi kuleana i aloha 'ia

'0 'oe ke kā'ei o ku'u lani Pāpahi ho'oheno o ka makuahine E ho'i kāua i Hi'ilawe Hi'i 'ia maila i ka 'ehu wai Ale mai ke aloha kau i ka maka No ka lei kaumaka 'o ku'u lani E