Hawaiian before Hula

Aloha na hoaaloha,

      I have finally the feeling its time to get back to blogging.

Just to sit down and type a few things on what has been going on in my little world can be difficult since my  hula has been taking a back seat for me.   Yes, believe it or not I am making some changes now in my life and my hula will now be on the back burner.   There are a couple important reasons for taking this stance that I would like to share with you here is the first one; My new focus will be my ‘olelo Hawai’i, my Hawaiian language. And here’s why:

Alaka'i Ahonui and I last year's huaka'i to Spain.

        For the past 30 + years I have been working very hard to ‘uniki as KumuHula.  I have devoted years of blood, sweat, and hula tears. I love my hula passionately. It is what I truly love to do all the time. I love to dance hula. I love to teach hula. And I love to study hula, research the mele and learn everything I can about a hula.  I really love to choreograph hulas too. Luckily it was one thing that always came more easy than hard.  

And I really love to share hula by teaching others.  Hula makes me feel more Hawaiian.  Wow, I can't believe I just said that.  Well, why wouldn't I?

  Starting with my Aunties and mother, I have had a few good teachers on my hula journey and I've had a few great teachers too.  

 Although sometimes practicing hula was hard to do as a kid I do have many wonderful memories of it.  And as an adult, I have taught many wonderful people from all over the world how to dance, while still enjoying my own study of mele hula.  Teaching hula was never work for me , I loved it too much.   But here's the stickler: I don't know my Hawaiian language, and Hawaiian must come before the hula.

Looking at the website of Ka Haka 'Ula O Ke'elikōlani, College of Hawaiian Language  right away it states: 'O ka 'Olelo ke Ka'a o ka Mauli, -'Language is the fiber that binds us to our cultural identity.'

The language is what binds us, not simply our hula, hmm.   Remember who said, 

        "Hula is the language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people" .   Kalakaua, Hawaii's last reigning King. 

Both phrases are very profound, but its the language that sustains a people in my opinion and I'm going to start gaining a perspective of why I now feel this way and I'm starting by putting my Hawaiian language before my hula. 

         Hope you can follow along on my new journey.  See you soon.

Merrie Monarch 2012

Ke welina mai nei.....
Greetings to all! Did you get to see this years Merrie Monarch 2012? No? Well, let me share some great videos I liked. Check out this first one from Halau Hula O Kamuela:
Not only did this award winning halau use the Kala'au, but they used the not seen often Papa hehi. This halau is very competitive, always performing last in the competition because that is how the halau's are lined up. The later the halau performs, according to the competition standards, the better they are.  At least that's what I think. As great the performance was, it didn't even place this year! What?! Using a hula implement as they did should have placed this halau even if it was 5th place!

This next halau is a personal favorite of mine, The Academy of Hawaiian Arts:

 

Big winners in California, but not so big to the judges of Merrie Monarch. I love this halau for its bombastic style and no holds barred kind of hula. Not to mention Kumu Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu's rich and powerful chanting style. Again, no placing this year either...sheesh, no surprise there. Kumu Mark is beyond this competition...oh yeah I said it.  If the MM let the public vote like American Idol this halau would win hands down, every time!..oh yeah, I said it!

The following 2 halau's are 1st and 2nd place winners in Women's Kahiko.
Halau O Ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani with Kumu Manu Boyd:

 I love this Kumu who is also the lead singer for Ho'okena.  I wonder how many halau Ho'okena sang for this year, since I saw him a few times at the mike working hard for everyone..now that's aloha.... Did he deserve a first place win? I think for his traditional style and knowledge of hula yes he did. I'm just not sure it was his dancers' best performance at Merrie Monarch.  I still admire this Kumu very much. He was the best on the mic when he mc'd for the competition. No dead air and lots of mana'o.

Halau Mohala 'Ilima:

   Big winners this year along with their solo performance, Kumu Mapuana De Silva and Halau Mohala 'Ilima are regulars at Merrie Monarch with their recognizable unique style and a sure crowd pleaser. No doubt traditon at its finest.  I think this year's judges were good, and reminded us that at this competition tradition is the word and 'getting back to basics' was the theme.  I only wish they would open a new category for "best new artistic achievement award", then I know my favorite halau would win!  What do you think?
Check out more great hula videos at youtube.com ...and don't be afraid to comment below! A hui hou!

Merrie Monarch Hula Festival 2012

Aloha kakou!
Yes, its that time again when hula permeates Hilo! April 8 - 14.
Starting with the Ho'olaulea, Sunday April 8 at the Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium 9am.  This has Free admission so be sure to catch it.  They will feature local halau that you won't want to miss.

One of my personal favorites is on April 11; the Arts and Crafts Fair will have started, but be sure to bring lots on kala ($), your gonna need it!
 This is a wonderful event that lets you see the local talent out here in the Islands and you can always find some new fabric from Polynesia and of course hula implements too.

Also be sure to check out The Music Exchange http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Music-Exchange/121186501226560  across from the Edith Kanaka'ole stadium will have some of my Ipuheke for sale. (ka'u kane makes!)  These ipu are the best handmade in all the islands of course! And yes, they come with the pale and kaula.
Next is the free exhibition night of hula, international performers, and music.
 6:00 pm, Wednesday, April 11th at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium.   This is truly a pleasure to experience, even if the crowd is huge!  I think doors open at 4pm, which means you need to get in line at 2p?!
Ha! You figure it out, only be prepared for the wait.

 Follow this link; http://www.merriemonarch.com/the-festival   for more information on the week's activities.  Also, a not to be missed program at  www.imiloahawaii.org  that will offer some very enriching cultural workshops for locals and malihini alike! You will love it!
Okay, after some sadness comes the gladness and happy-to-be-Hawaiian-ness!
So get out there and enjoy some Hula!!!

The Shattered Vase

Princess Kaʻiulani

This past Saturday evening I attended the hula drama put on by Kumu Hula Paul Neves. He is the Kumu for Hālau Haʻa Kea o Kinohi. He has students that dance in the hālau from Hilo, Washington and San Francisco.

In case you haven't been to something like this before, a 'hula drama' is a play that incorporates hula dances and a storyline. This type of play may or may not incorporate Hawaiian instruments as the percussion, contemporary songs, hula kahiko (traditional hula) and ʻauana (modern hula). Sometimes contemporary songs can be used as the music in which the hula is danced to. This can be a beautiful thing. I like to see these types of hula because it gives the audience an understanding into what it may have been like to witness a hula in the olden days. Nowadays, not everyone speaks ʻōlelo (the Hawaiian language) so unless you study hula you miss all of the richness that the lyrics bring through the dancer. When a Kumu choreographs a modern hula to a modern song, it can give us an experience of what it would be like to understand the Hawaiian Language as someone dances hula.

Knowing the Hawaiian language gives a deeper understanding into what the hula is about. The dancer becomes what it is they are dancing about. For instance, as with the play, the person who played Kaʻiulani had to "become" her. Her persona, aura, feelings and expressions come out through her performance and her hula. Just as actors embrace their roles in theatre, a hula dancer embodies the quality, character or traits they are dancing about. In addition to fully expressing the story, a hula dancer must know the general meaning of the dance as well as the "hidden" meaning of the dance. Hula chants and dances are very poetic. There are metaphors weaved throughout them. For example, pua, meaning flower, may also refer to a child or chief. There is an ʻōlelo noʻeau (wise saying) that states, "he lei poina ʻole ke keiki" which means "a child is a lei you never forget." I know you can picture the arms of a precious child clasped around a loved ones neck.

Kumu Paul Neves

In the Shattered Vase, Kumu Paul Neves was able to talk story at the beginning and end of the performance. It was beautiful because the audience was able to learn a little about his background, him growing up in California, and his move to the islands. This play was done to honor the statement that Queen Liliʻuokalani had given when the state was annexed, and also to honor the efforts of Kaʻiulani in demanding justice for the Hawaiian people.

This hula drama stuck to the traditional style of dance. I liked this play in particular because I got to learn something! Learning is one of my favorite things so I really liked that they included genealogy, moʻolelo,  hula, facts and Kaʻiulani's efforts. It was wonderful to see a play that was meant to inform the audience not just entertain.

Queen Liliʻuokalani

My favorite part of the whole play was when Queen Liliʻuokalani, Kaʻiulani's aunt, presented Ke Aloha o Ka Haku, also known as the Queen's Prayer. That was the time I began to cry! It was very moving and so relevant to today! She was so smart and I believe that that song can truly heal people. I was deeply moved by it. It is a song that sings about forgiveness. Queen Liliʻuokalani was imprisoned in her own home because she protested the Republic of Hawaiʻi (even though it sounds like it was a Hawaiian government, it wasn't- it was put in place by foreigners who wanted control over how business was run so they could make a bigger profit). When she was imprisoned in her palace, one of the songs she wrote spoke of forgiving all of the wrongs they have been done. (Did you know you can read her entire autobiography online? You can read it here).

I would like to leave this song with you now. Please use the song in your life to bring peace and love and to understand forgiveness. I know you will like it:

                                  Ke Aloha o ka Haku

ʻO kou aloha nō Aia i ka lani A ʻo Kou ʻoia ʻiʻo He hemolelo hoʻi     Koʻu noho mihi ʻana A paʻahao ʻia ʻO ʻoe kuʻu lama Kou nani koʻu koʻo     Mai nānā ʻinoʻino Nā hewa o kānaka Akā e huikala A maʻemaʻe nō     No laila e ka Haku Ma lalo o kou ʻēheu Kō mākou maluhia A mau loa aku nō     ʻĀmene

Your loving mercy Is as high as Heaven And your truth So perfect     I live in sorrow Imprisoned You are my light Your glory, my support     Behold not with malevolence The sins of man But forgive And cleanse     And so, o Lord Protect us beneath your wings And let peace be our portion Now and forever more     Amen

Puakea Nogelmeir

As I sit here listening to the rain fall on the trees outside of my house, I thought about introducing you to an author, kumu hula and professor who will give you great insight to the Hawaiian language and culture. What's so great about him is he has taken the time to learn about a culture & language and adopted them as his own. We all play a vital role in our communities whether or not you know it. Each one of us is important. Puakea Nogelmeir chose to impact the Hawaiian community in a positive way (and no he didn't know that this is where his choice of learning the Hawaiian language would lead him!). Enjoy this link: http://www.pbshawaii.org/ourproductions/longstory_guests/nogelmeier.htm There is and audio interview and pdf file to read.

Preparation For Hula April Performance

Aloha kāua! This month is definitely busy busy. Lately my hālau has been preparing for Aunty Doreen's Lei Hulu Graduation performance on April 11th. Every 2 years Aunty Doreen holds a graduation ceremony for her students who have completed the necessary feather leis. This 2010 is the year for her latest graduates! Our hālau was invited to perform at this great event. It will be held at Sangha Hall next month.

For anyone who has thought about making a lei hulu, let me tell you those leis take a lot of patience and hard work! Each dancer in Kahula o Nā Mamo o Moʻīkeha are making a lei poʻo and it is tedious work! Along with making my own lei poʻo for this performance, we have also been spending a lot of time cutting, pinning and sewing our dresses- up for hours and feathers for days! The dresses are made of velvet and have so many panels to connect! I am so glad the hula girls are coming out to help! My boyfriend has been doing a lot of work too. Plus there is a lining to go inside the dress! Now I'm not a seamstress, but after all of this work I think I could make some cool shirts for myself easy!

I must say that I have finally completed my lei hulu and I'm so glad! I spent hours on it and had some really patient people helping me cut and crimp feathers. There is still an ʻulīʻulī to be made I have more dances to practice before the show. I will be adding more pictures as we get closer to the performance date! A hui hou kāua.