Today marks the maiden voyage of the Hokulea, the first double-hulled Hawaiian voyaging canoe to set sail since the time of Kamehameha the Great, from the Hawaiian Islands to Tahiti. It was a major achievement that sparked a thriving interest, awareness and perpetuation of traditional, non-instrument Polynesian navigation to this day. Adjacent to the current […]
After two nights of group hula competition, the 54th annual Merrie Monarch Festival at the Edith Kanakaole Stadium in Hilo, Hawaii Island concluded with awards given to the best halau (groups) in the Islands. Twenty-nine halau (20 wahine, nine kane) vied for top awards with their kahiko (ancient) and auana (modern) performances, telling moolelo (legends)
When it’s in full swing, the Merrie Monarch Festival brings out more than just the best in hula. Off the stage, attendees put on a quite a show of their own in stylish clothing, headwear and accessories. Floral prints, intricate lei and a bold affinity for color found their way onto the crowd this year,
The chants about Panaewa Forest, which lies between Kilauea and the ocean on Hawaii Island, describe it as having been created by the violent force of Pele and healed by Hiiaka. It became a lush rain forest, with towering ohia lehua trees and red lehua rain. The environment was rich with every plant needed for healing
We hope you’re ready for another year of phenomenal hula and Hawaiian music as the 54th annual Merrie Monarch Festival gets underway tomorrow, Thursday, April 20 through Saturday, April 22 in Hilo, Hawaii. Though tickets have been sold out for months, you can still enjoy the competition from the comforts of home. Each moment is captured live on television,
It’s the hottest ticket in Hawaii—the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, Hawaii Island this week. Beginning with Easter Sunday, a week of festivities will culminate with amazing hula performances under the bright lights of the Edith Kanakaole Stadium for three nights of competition (all Hawaii Standard Time): Miss Aloha Hula: Thursday, April 20, 6 to
Traditional hula practices thrive on Hawaii Island, particularly during Merrie Monarch. We asked lunar calendar expert and researcher Kalei Nuuhiwa for her insights on how to respectfully approach people who are practicing their traditions. Picture this: It’s a perfectly beautiful day at the Kilauea crater. The smoke is rising above Halemaumau. The wind is blowing softly
Every Spring, Hilo comes alive during the annual Merrie Monarch Festival—an internationally-acclaimed celebration of Hawaii’s most beloved art form, the hula. Three nights of exhilarating competition unite a total of 28 men’s and women’s hula halau (groups) from across the Hawaiian Islands and the continental U.S. this year, alongside visiting dancers from Asia and Polynesian
Who needs GQ when you have Prince Kūhiō? Born Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole in 1871, the Hawaiian figure achieved a marquee of notable titles to hang around his neck like the bossiest chain of humblebrags. He was an heir to the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, part of a rebellion to reinstate Queen Liliʻuokalani to her throne, a
If you’ve driven through Windward Oahu, you’ve probably seen the rustic fixture that is the Waiahole Poi Factory, surrounded by greenery with the stunning Koolau mountains in the background and Mokolii (aka Chinaman’s Hat) just off the coast. But have you stopped there for lunch? The spot, which sells fresh poi in bulk and by the
Hawaii ukulele virtuosa Taimane Gardner is a music prodigy who began playing at the age of 5, was discovered as a teenager by music legend Don Ho and has studied with modern ukulele superstar and island boy Jake Shimabukuro. She entrances audiences the world over with her fiercely passionate playing style and impressive mastery of the ukulele, whether
A musubi—traditionally Spam on a fitted, rectangular bed of rice and wrapped with a piece of nori (seaweed)—is found in grocery stores, gas stations and snack stands all around the Islands. Of course, any Hawaii resident knows there are other possible musubi combinations, such as, the also popular, hot dog or chicken katsu musubis. But,
