4 Sunday, March 27, 2016 Hawaii Tribune-Herald Locally owned and operated, we are honored to be celebrating our 100 year anniversary aannss ttoo oouu our Hawai‘i Island ‘ohana. BRING THE GOODNESS OF HAWAII HOME with Mountain Apple Brand products from KTA Super Stores - produced, grown or manufactured in Hawai’i to support the local economy. 2016 MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL Kumu hula Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o and Kunewa Mook of Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela react to the announcement that their halau is the wahine overall winner of the 2015 Merrie Monarch Festival. The halau also took first place in the wahine kahiko division last year. HEARTBEAT From page 3 will return to the Merrie Monarch competition stage. Several Big Island hula halau will perform at Ho‘olaule‘a, as will Te Kapa Haka O Te Whanau A Apanui, a champion haka group from Aotearoa (New Zealand). They’ll also perform in Wednesday night’s free Ho‘ike at the Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium. Continuing a tradition started in 1997, Nalani Kanaka‘ole’s Halau O Kekuhi will be Ho‘ike’s featured attraction. The event is free, and a line forms early in the morning for admission to the popular exhibition program featuring dances from around the Pacific Basin. Also performing are Hawaiian Cultural Center Taiwan and its Hula Halau O Lehua Taiwan, and Nonosina, a Polynesian dance troupe from Anaheim, Calif. In addition to hula enthusiasts, Merrie Monarch week is anticipated by hotels, rental car agencies, airlines, restaurants and other businesses, all of which experience an annual bonanza. It’s also that “other” time of the year for crafters and those who love craft fairs. The Merrie Monarch Invitational Hawaiian Arts Fair is the “official” event, reigning supreme at the Civic. But numerous unofficial craft fairs also HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald have sprung up throughout Hilo, hoping to lure souvenir-hunters’ dollars their way. The three-night hula competition is the Merrie Monarch’s undisputed crown jewel, often referred to as the “Super Bowl” of hula. Twenty-five halau are competing this year, with 20 entered in the wahine group competition and nine in the men’s competition. AUNTY AGNES “AGGIE” KALANIHO’OKAHA COPE There are always compelling stories and sentimental favorites, and this year’s 53rd annual edition is no different. One Hawaiian cultural icon who will be missed this year is teacher and healer Aunty Agnes “Aggie” Kalaniho‘okaha Cope, who died Nov. 16 at 91. She helped found the Waianae Comprehensive Health Center, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by the See HEARTBEAT Page 5
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