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, […]
One of the best-known families in Hawaii, the Lim ohana (family), is a talented force to behold. They include the musical group The Lim Family and hula practitioners leading an award-winning halau hula (hula group). “When we travel homeward, we are greeted by the two significant puu (hills) of our wahi pana (storied places), Pili and
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
When Kayli Kaiulani Carr took the stage at last year’s Merrie Monarch Festival, the world’s most respected hula competition, she left spectators speechless. Her award-winning performances during Miss Aloha Hula, the contest for its prestigious solo title, brought a powerful duality to the stage (her oli, a rapid-fire and intense Hawaiian chant alone, was must-see
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
Even if you’ve never been to Hawaii, chances are you’ve caught wind of the name Pele, the legendary Hawaiian goddess who makes her home in Kilauea’s Halemaumau Crater. Photo: Wikipedia Commons Look at all that steam. Someone must be home … There are many moolelo (legends) surrounding the deity to Kilauea and multiple portraits of
Uhi (Hawaiian tattoo) expert Keone Nunes sits, tattooing one of his four haumana (students) in the room—echoing the traditions of times long past—as long-time apprentice Keliiokalani Makua observes. The rhythmic tapping of his moli (tattooing needle) inside Waianae’s iconic Hale Ola Hoopakolea building is syncopated with the drops of light rain outside. Over the rhythmic beats,
Off a picturesque beach in Kahala on Oahu, a young Polynesian voyager has carved out a niche for himself as a resident educator, tour guide and waterman at the Kahala Resort. Austin Kino, a 27-year-old junior navigator, has a seafarer’s eyes—blue, piercing, quick to read the subtle movements of wind, waves and wildlife. From years
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
On March 23, 1950, a Hawaiian icon was born. The small town of Kalamaula, on the island of Molokai, welcomed George Jarrett Helm, Jr., and, unbeknownst to Hawaii’s political and cultural sphere then, he would become a man who would shape the contemporary consciousness of Hawaiian identity and values for generations. Aloha aina. Literally meaning
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
Find your pitch, people. The Kamehameha Schools Song Contest is fast approaching and you can watch it live on TV or streaming online. This Friday, March 17, the annual music contest gathers the Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus high school student body (grades 9 through 12) to perform Hawaiian mele (songs) in boys, girls and co-ed groups. First,
