Hawaii Tribune-Herald Sunday, March 27, 2016 19 pahu (wood drum) then. This time, I’m using the ipu (gourd drum).” It’s a story that’s worked before as Lum Ho’s halau won the kane kahiko, ‘auana and overall titles in 1982, as well as the overall group title. Kaleohano said she thinks one reason Lum Ho’s dances resonate with audiences is one needn’t speak Hawaiian or be a hula expert to understand the meaning of the dance. “If we’re telling a story about something, we want to make sure that you can tell what we’re talking about,” she said. “For instance, if one part of the kahiko talks about smashing up a puhi (eel) to feed to the turtle, you can only smash a puhi so many ways. It’s a little bit more demanding, a little bit more rough, because it’s realistic. And I think people like to be able to tell what the story’s about, and that’s why they respond to Uncle Johnny and the choreography.” Lum Ho said his halau also will pay tribute to the more recent past, when sugar was king in Hawaii. “Our ‘auana will be from the plantation days, when they used to import the workers from the Philippines, Japan and China to work in the cane fields. My girls will be showing through their hula how they worked in the cane fields,” he said. “They’re paying a special tribute to the Philippines and visiting the Filipino camp.” The dancers will employ pu‘ili, split bamboo percussion sticks, in a hula homage to tinikling, the Filipino bamboo dance. The music will be provided by the halau band with Lum Ho, Mark Yamanaka and Kaleo Kalauoka‘ae‘a- Kahele providing threepart falsetto harmonies, plus Bert Naihe on guitar and Eddy Atkins on electric bass. And while some kumu shy away from hula styles that might be considered flashy or showy, Lum Ho embraces hula as entertainment. For a number of years, Kawelo Kong Kee was the halau master of ceremonies, providing English-language narration for the audiences in a manner reminiscent of Waikiki nightclub shows. Kong Kee’s health won’t allow him to take the microphone this year, so Chris Agpoon, a halau musician, will emcee. Lum Ho’s halau didn’t place at the golden anniversary competition, despite a wildly enthusiastic response from the audience. There’s an entirely new set of judges this year, and although most kumu don’t want to comment about the judging, Lum Ho welcomed the change, saying the three judges who scored his halau the lowest gave him no constructive feedback in the comments section of their sheets. He also made it clear who his halau performs for. “Everybody tells me they are excited to see us at Merrie Monarch. I can hardly wait to do what we do for the crowd. We do it for them.” Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribuneherald. com. Welcome to All Merrie Monarch Participants > No Fluids or Mechanical Parts > Qualifies for Federal and State Energy Credit > Qualifies for HE rebate of $750 > 10 Year Warranty Available CALL NOW FOR PRICING 8089359029 Sun Bandit® is a registered trademark of Next Generation Energy® SAVE NOW! Use the FREE energy of the sun to heat your water > Sun Bandit® is Simple, Clean and Dependable > Provides On-Site Solar Energy Storage > Meets 100% of Your Hot Water Needs > Operates Without Utility Power Proud to be the Offi cial Electrical Contractor for the Past 33 Years HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald Halau O Ka Ua Kani Lehua practices at Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo. JOHNNY From page 18
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