Page 26

mm2016

26 Sunday, March 27, 2016 Hawaii Tribune-Herald 2016 MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL KEITH AWAI ED COLLIER AINSLEY Aloha Merrie Monarch Participants & Revelers! “Trust Your Generation of Power to a Family that’s been around for Generations!” Custom Photovoltaic Systems built to your needs Residential • Commercial • Industrial PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR SERVICES AVAILABLE Aloha & Good Luck to all Merrie Monarch Festival Participants! TanForuoyme Fthaemily K&J Tire Center, Inc. 266 Kekuanaoa Street • Hilo • Tel: 961-2604 www.kjtirecenter.com Jennifer & Stefan Tanouye A clean slate New panel of judges will decide this year’s winners The Merrie Monarch Festival is Hawaii’s ultimate celebration of traditional culture, but changes sometimes do occur. Most of those changes are subtle, but this year one can be likened to a seismic shift — the appointment of an entirely new panel of seven judges. “It was just time,” said Merrie Monarch Festival President Luana Kawelu. “Some of them served a long time, and I really appreciate their service. They’ve played a big role for us, and so will the new judges.” The new judges, like the previous panel, are all hula and Hawaiian cultural experts. Only one, kumu hula Ed Collier, has previous Merrie Monarch judging experience. In addition to Collier, the new judges are: Keith Awai, Ainsley Halemanu, Lahela Ka‘aihue, Etua Lopes, Pi‘ilani Lua and Holoua Stender. “It’s an honor. It’s nice because I get to see all of my peers,” said Lopes, kumu hula of Kona’s Halau Hula Na Pua U‘i ‘O Hawai‘i and a student of the late kumu hula George Na‘ope, co-founder of the By JOHN BURNETT u Hawaii Tribune-Herald HALEMANU LAHELA KA‘AIHUE ETUA LOPES PI‘ILANI LUA HOLOUA STENDER See JUDGES Page 27


mm2016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above