Hawaii Tribune-Herald Sunday, March 27, 2016 5 2016 MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL University of Hawaii at Manoa, named a “Living Treasure” by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission, and honored by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as a kumu hula and Native Hawaiian traditional healer. Another is legendary kumu hula Leina‘ala Kalama Heine, who died Sept. 9 at 75. Her Halau Na Pualei O Likolehua, founded in 1976, made an almost immediate splash at Merrie Monarch, winning the wahine hula kahiko (ancient hula) and wahine overall titles in 1977, and the wahine hula ‘auana (modern hula) and wahine overall titles in 1978. Their most recent win was the wahine ‘auana title in 2006. Kalama Heine’s most recent appearance at Merrie Monarch was in 2013, when she appeared in the Wednesday night Ho‘ike, a special show for the festival’s 50th anniversary. “She called me a couple of years ago and wanted to make sure she came back in 2016 because it was her 40th anniversary. She said it means a lot that I come in 2016,” Merrie Monarch President Luana Kawelu said. “So in October, the daughter, Niuli‘i, who took over the halau, called and told me they were not coming. I told her I would respect whatever decision they made, but I would leave a slot open for them. I told her, ‘If you want to come and honor your mom, because that was her wish, I would leave it open.’ “She called later and told me they were coming.” Na Pualei will dance in the wahine group competition. Maui’s Pukalani Hula Hale, under the direction of kumu hula Hi‘ilei Maxwell-Juan, will return to Merrie Monarch since the 2006 death of beloved kumu hula Nina Maxwell, Maxwell-Juan’s mother and the wife of noted Hawaiian activist and cultural specialist Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr. Maxwell- Juan will bring wahine. Another notable return is Nani Lim Yap, kumu hula of Halau Manaola of Kohala. Lim Yap was co-kumu, with sister Leialoha Lim Amina, of Na Lei O Kaholoku. That halau captured the wahine overall titles in 2005 and 2006. The sisters have gone their separate ways, with Lim Amina continuing with the original halau. Lim Yap will bring the wahine of her new halau, named for her son, a prominent fashion designer, for the first time. One question looming over this year’s competition is: Will the overall winning halau be wahine for the first time in five years? It’s a fair question with neither last year’s overall winner — Na Kamalei O Lililehua, under the direction of kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero — nor 2014’s overall winner — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, under the direction of kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad — entered this year. The last time a wahine halau took the overall title is in 2011, when Halau O Ke‘alaokamaile, a Maui halau under the direction of kumu hula Keali‘i Reichel, also took the wahine kahiko and wahine overall titles. They will not be in the competition this year. The only other wahine halau to win the overall competition title in the past decade is Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, an Oahu halau under the direction of na kumu hula Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o and Kunewa Mook that took the overall crown in 2008. Always strong, they won the wahine overall title and took first place in hula kahiko and fourth place in hula ‘auana last year. Jasmine Kaleihiwa Dunlap, representing Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, also won last year’s Miss Aloha Hula title, although the prestigious solo hula award doesn’t count in the group competition. Even without Cazimero’s and Trinidad’s halau, the kane field is loaded, as usual. One contender is Hilo’s Halau Hula ‘O Kahikilaulani. Under the direction of kumu hula Nahoku Gaspang, the halau founded by the late kumu Rae Fonseca tied Trinidad’s halau for second place in overall and kane overall last year. The halau’s hula kahiko will be a mele “honoring the people of Waipio,” Gaspang said, and its hula ‘auana is the Mary Kawena Puku‘i and Maddy Lam cha-lang-a-lang classic, “Ku‘u Sweetie.” HEARTBEAT From page 4 KAWELU See HEARTBEAT Page 6
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