It's Merrie Monarch!
If I were in Hilo, I would be running around to craft fairs, stuffing myself with snacks and poi, and complaining about the rain. But I'm in Oahu, and all we got this year was the rain. (Which is welcome enough in itself, but makes my 60-degree workplace especially frigid.)
The order of competitions are: Miss Aloha Hula (Thursday), Kahiko (Friday), and 'Auana (Saturday). Kahiko is by far the most popular, but my favorite to watch is Miss Aloha. Why? Because of the oli.
Oli, or Hawaiian chant, is unique, powerful, and difficult to master. I have learned chants both in UH and in my own halau, and it's even in my Hawaiian name (HeOLImeleikalani)! Being a soprano chanter is tough - we don't have the same oomph as an alto - but it's always something I've wanted to study more.
I also love watching Miss Aloha because, as opposed to group hula, you can really focus in on a dancer's motions, facial expressions, and interpretation of a song. As a dancer, I watch it mostly for inspiration. In addition, seeing both kahiko and 'auana from the same dancer is fascinating, especially when considering all the different kumu and their different styles.
This year I was able to join in a text-based viewing party with my hula sisters back home - well past midnight for them! They accurately predicted the winner (Halau Hi'iakaikamakaenaena) and had some great insight into the songs, dances, etc. (My favorite was from Hula Halau 'o Kamuela, who came in second. Oh well.)
Round 2: Kahiko! Since there's no AHA (Mark Ho'omalu), I'm looking forward to Kahikilaulani and Kamuela's performances.
Anyone else?
A hui hou!
Hmm, “Heolimeleikalani”…my Hawaiian's gotten rusty, but…“a chant-song in the heavens?”
ReplyDeleteWe actually didn't get a lot of rain this week! Just some Monday night and Tuesday morning (though I'm not sure exactly how much as I was up observing on Mauna Loa most of the night and then slept half the day. :)