Merrie Monarch 2012 -
Results
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HILO, Hawaii: Hours of hula culminated on Saturday night in Hilo, when the 49th annual Merrie Monarch Festival competition wrapped up and the winning halau were announced.
Winners were named in Kane Kahiko, Wahine Kahiko, Kane ‘Auana, Wahine ‘Auana divisions, as well as overall winners.
In many ways, the night belonged to the group from Pauoa on Oahu, Halau I Ka Wekiu.
Kumu Hula Karl Veto Baker & Michael Nalanakila’ekolu Casupang’s halau were top place finishers in both the Kane Kahiko and Kane ‘Auana divisions (1,147 points overall), and even took 2nd place in the Wahine ‘Auana.
The
halau swept both the kane kahiko and kane ‘auana divisions to top Halau
o ke A‘ali‘i Ku Makani, the overall wahine winner, by a final
cumulative score of 1,147 to 1,139 points. The scores are the combined
tallies from Friday night’s hula kahiko competition and Saturday’s group
hula ‘auana; the awards ceremony was held shortly after midnight.
First-time
entrant Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, with dancers ranging in age
from 17 to the minimum of 13 years, shocked the crowd with a
fourth-place kane overall finish.
Throughout the evening, the
ancient protocols were relaxed and the lucky audience of a few thousand
within the Edith Kanaka‘ole Stadium were treated to another incredible
set of performances. The show was also broadcast live statewide and
online to the world.
Oahu’s ‘Ilima Hula Studio performed “Moku O
Keawe,” composed by a homesick former court dancer for Kalakaua who was
performing in California in 1894. The women wore elegant long white
dresses, plumed hats, red shoes and, on their left arms, golden
bracelets.
“Moku O Keawe was because of this island, and Hilo has
hosted the Merrie Monarch for all these years,” said kumu Lani-Girl
Kaleiki-AhLo, in the halau’s first appearance in the competition since
1983.
Kaleiki-AhLo was pleased with her halau’s return. “They did great,” she said, repeating the sentence twice more for emphasis. The
halau, then run by the late Louise Kaleiki and known as the Louise
Kaleiki Hula Studio, was one of the original groups to enter the first
Merrie Monarch competition in 1971, Kaleiki-AhLo said. At a meeting with
George Na‘ope and Dottie Thompson, and other hula masters in Honolulu,
it was Kaleiki who asked, “Why don’t we have a competition?” Na‘ope
said it wouldn’t be a success unless the Oahu halau groups were
invited, including Louise Kaleiki Hula Studio. So they came, and the
festival was on its way.
“It was such a blessing to be back here on this stage,” Kaleiki-AhLo said.
The
same could be said for Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, a first-time
entrant whose green-garbed kane group danced to “Waikiki Hula.”
“It
was fun. I had to control myself from dancing back there,” said kumu
hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval, a former Miss Aloha Hula. Vaughan-Darval
said she chose the mele because she wanted to honor the places that
they know best. It’s believed that those who are most familiar with the
subject of a song are able to convey their aloha in hula. “For the boys, they live all in that area,” Vaughan-Darval said.
The
wahine members of Halau Hula O Kaleimomi of Las Vegas, wearing white
dresses, danced to “Nani Kaua‘i,” a song of praise for the Garden
Island.
“I am, first of all, very happy to be back in Hawaii,”
said kumu Sheldeen Kaleimomi Haleamau, who chose the song for the island
where she was born. “Very happy at tonight’s performance. … We’re
dedicating this performance to my friend, Betty Kaleohano and the Kaohi
‘ohana. “For many of the women, it’s their first time to the
Merrie Monarch Festival, and they’re so excited to participate in the
festival,” Haleamau said.
Getting here from Los Angeles wasn’t easy, said Christy Miller.“A
lot of fundraisers, and a lot of practices,” she said. A hula sister,
Kaleinani Bacarro, said the halau dedicated six months for their six or
seven minutes on stage Friday and Saturday. And what did Bacarro think
about her actual performance on stage? “It was an out-of-body experience,” she said.
The
popular Los Angeles Halau Keali‘i O Nalani paid tribute to the island
of Niihau with their mele of the same name. The halau wants to use the
song as a springboard to a future journey to the island. “You
know, this mele is inspiring us to one day perhaps get permission to
visit the island of Niihau,” said kumu Keali‘i Ceballos. “So we’re
trying to get inspiration from the song,” he said. Renowned
Ni‘ihau shell lei master Kele Kanahele actually came to Los Angeles to
work with us” in making the rare lei that the women were wearing,
Ceballos said.
While the dancers couldn’t get to Ni‘ihau before
this trip, the kumu was able to describe the process of finding the tiny
shells, said halau member Minoaka Nagamori. She imagined combing the
beach of the island for the sparkling shells, and tried to express that
in her dance. “I wanted to actually share this, my beautiful lei,
to people,” Nagamori said. “I wish the people (watching the hula) can
feel what I feel.”
If she wanted to put the audience in a good
mood, Nagamori succeeded, although it wasn’t hard. Every hula was
well-received, even if members didn’t know the back story behind each
mele.
Keolalaulani Halau ‘Olapa O Laka performed “Pili Aloha,” a
love song set on the island of Kauai. Although no Big Island-based halau
was participating in this year’s festival, this halau featured about a
dozen local residents, not all of whom performed in the hula ‘auana.
According
to kumu Aloha Dalire, the song symbolizes a loved one with a cherished
mokihana lei from Mount Wai‘ale‘ale, Kauai, but there’s a twist — the
object of the song had her heart stolen by someone else. The halau
had planned to wear mokihana lei, but recent floods on Kauai forced
them to change their plans and use sea grape and maile. And at one point
the halau members from Hilo and San Mateo, Calif., spent a week on Oahu
to practice together. She credited her daughters with helping run the
far-flung halau.
“Hula runs in my blood,” the first Miss Aloha Hula said.
Halau
Hula ‘O Hokulani danced to “Nene‘u,” the place on Oahu better known as
Poka‘i Bay. For this mele, the halau went to the bay and to see Mount
Ka‘ala along the Wai‘anae coast, said halau member Shyloh Ahne. The
bay has deep personal significance for co-kumu Hokulani De Rego, Ahne
said. One night, De Rego’s mother was sitting in the ocean under the
full moon, which in Hawaiian is called the Hoku moon. And that’s how
Hoku De Rego got her name.
Just before the intermission came Ka Pa
Hula O Ka Lei Lehua, dancing “Halema‘uma‘u,” a beautiful song written
by Maddy Lam and Bill Ali‘iloa Lincoln for the crater of the same name. “I
just wanted to do something for Hawaii Island, and I wanted to do
something that’s just ‘olu‘olu (refreshing) and pleasing,” said kumu
hula Snowbird Bento. The previous night, the halau had performed a hula
kahiko for Haumea, an important goddess and the mother of Pele, and
that’s a serious hula with a lot of kuleana (responsibility). So
Saturday needed to be something different, for balance.
“I had a
lot of fun,” said Ka Pa Hula dancer Pua Reis-Moniz. The halau plans to
make a trip to Halema‘uma‘u this morning for a ho‘okupu, or offering, to
Pele.
And then they’ll probably begin thinking about next year.
Hawaii Tribune Herald: Email Peter Sur at
psur@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
2012 Merrie Monarch Festival results
Kane Kahiko
4th – 544 pts
Halau Kekuaokala’au’ala’iliahi
Na Kumu Hula Brandon ‘Iliahi Paredes and Joy Haunani Paredes
Wailuku, Maui
3rd -
Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La
Kumu Hula Kaleo Trinidad
Kapalama Uka, Honolulu, O’ahu
2nd – 565 points
Halau Hula ‘O Kawaili’ula
Kumu Hula Chinky Mahoe
Kailua, O’ahu
1st – 569 points
Halau I Ka Wekiu
Na Kumu Hula Karl Veto Baker & Michael Nalanakila’ekolu Casupang
Pauoa, Honolulu, O’ahu
Wahine Kahiko
5th – 554 points
Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha’eha’e
Na Kumu Hula Tracie Ka’onohilani Farias Lopes & Keawe Lopes
Kahauiki, O’ahu
4th – 556 points
Halau Ka Liko Pua O Kalaniakea
Kumu Hula Kapualokeokalaniakea Dalire-Moe
Kane’ohe, O’ahu
3rd – 557 points
Halau Hula Olana
Na Kumu Hula Olana A’i & Howard A’i
Pu’uloa, ‘Aiea, O’ahu
2nd – 560 points
Halau Mohala ‘Ilima
Kumu Hula Mapuana de Silva
Ka’ohao, Kailua, O’ahu
1st – 573 points
Halau O Ke ‘A’ali’i Ku Makani
Kumu Hula Manu Boyd
Kane’ohe, O’ahu
Kane ‘Auana
4th – 547 points
Halau Kekuaokala’au’ala’iliahi
Na Kumu Hula Brandon ‘Iliahi Paredes and Joy Haunani Paredes
Wailuku, Maui
3rd – 565 points
Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La
Kumu Hula Kaleo Trinidad
Kapalama Uka, Honolulu, O’ahu
2nd – 568 points
Halau Hula ‘O Kawaili’ula
Kumu Hula Chinky Mahoe
Kailua, O’ahu
Chinky Mahoe
1st – 578 points
Halau I Ka Wekiu
Na Kumu Hula Karl Veto Baker & Michael Nalanakila’ekolu Casupang
Pauoa, Honolulu, O’ahu
Wahine ‘Auana
5th – 566 points
Halau O Ke ‘A’ali’i Ku Makani
Kumu Hula Manu Boyd
Kane’ohe, O’ahu
4th – 568 points
Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leina’ala
Kumu Hula Leina’ala Pavao Jardin
Kalaheo, Kauai
3rd – 569 points
Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha’eha’e
Na Kumu Hula Tracie Ka’onohilani Farias Lopes & Keawe Lopes
Kahauiki, O’ahu
2nd – 573 points
Halau I Ka Wekiu
Na Kumu Hula Karl Veto Baker & Michael Nalanakila’ekolu Casupang
Pauoa, Honolulu, O’ahu
1st – 576 points
Halau Mohala ‘Ilima
Kumu Hula Mapuana de Silva
Ka’ohao, Kailua, O’ahu
Overall – Kane
3rd – 1,117 points
Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La
Kumu Hula Kaleo Trinidad
Kapalama Uka, Honolulu, O’ahu
2nd – 1,133 points
Halau Hula ‘O Kawaili’ula
Kumu Hula Chinky Mahoe
Kailua, O’ahu
Chinky Mahoe
1st – 1,147 points
Halau I Ka Wekiu
Na Kumu Hula Karl Veto Baker & Michael Nalanakila’ekolu Casupang
Pauoa, Honolulu, O’ahu
Overall – Wahine
3rd – 1,125 points
Halau I Ka Wekiu
Na Kumu Hula Karl Veto Baker & Michael Nalanakila’ekolu Casupang
Pauoa, Honolulu, O’ahu
2nd -
Halau Mohala ‘Ilima
Kumu Hula Mapuana de Silva
Ka’ohao, Kailua, O’ahu
1st – 1139 points
Halau O Ke ‘A’ali’i Ku Makani
Kumu Hula Manu Boyd
Kane’ohe, O’ahu
OVERALL
2nd – 1,139 points
Halau O Ke ‘A’ali’i Ku Makani
Kumu Hula Manu Boyd
Kane’ohe, O’ahu
1st – 1,147 points
Halau I Ka Wekiu
Na Kumu Hula Karl Veto Baker & Michael Nalanakila’ekolu Casupang
Pauoa, Honolulu, O’ahu
Her Floral Majesty, 
"A lei is not just flowers strung on a thread. A lei is a
tangible representation of aloha in which symbols of that aloha
are carefully sewn or woven together to create a gift. This gift
tells a story of the relationship between the giver and the
recipient. many things can make up a lei. One can string
flowers, seeds, shells, or berries into a lei. One can weave
vines and leaves into a lei. One can weave words into a poem or
song, which is then a lei. The ultimate expression of a lei is
kamalei - the child which represents
the intertwining of aloha between the parents."
