Hawaii Tribune-Herald Sunday, April 1, 2018 25
2018 Merrie Monarch Festival
‘I love my hometown’
Oahu halau in the spotlight, but Keaukaha never far from co-kumu hula’s heart
Although Robert Ke‘ano
Ka‘upu IV, co-kumu hula of
Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua
with Lono Padilla, teaches his craft
in Honolulu’s Kalihi neighborhood,
his roots are in Hilo — or,
more specifically, Keaukaha.
“I love Keaukaha. I love my
hometown,” Ka‘upu said. “When
Hilo people are proud of me and
happy for me, that hits really deep,
really hard in a good way. Because
what I set out to do is to make my
kumu, my kupuna and the people
of my hometown proud.”
It’s certain Ka‘upu has made his
hometown proud as he and Padilla
have caused the hula world to take
notice the past couple of years.
In 2016, Halau
Hi‘iakainamakalehua placed third
in the wahine hula kahiko (women’s
ancient hula). In 2017, the Oahu
halau took the top spot in wahine
kahiko and placed third in wahine
hula ‘auana (women’s modern
hula), making them the runner-up
in the wahine overall category.
“When they called us for firstplace
kahiko last year and 2016 we
came in third-place kahiko, that blew
my mind,” Ka‘upu said. “We have
a Miss Aloha Hula and now we’re
being recognized with the group.
It’s put expectation on us. That’s the
part about winning or placing that
I don’t like. It now puts expectation
on you. Especially this year.”
But the fact that the past two
Miss Aloha Hulas, Kayli
Ka‘iulani Carr and Kelina
Kiyoko Ke‘ano‘ilehua
Tiffany Eldredge,
are from the halau
By JOHN BURNETT
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
See HEART Page 26
The wahine of Halau Hi’iakainamakalehua perform on kahiko night during the 2017 Merrie Monarch Festival.
Photos by KEOLA ARAKAKI/Centerline Photography
Kumu hula Robert Ke’ano Ka’upu IV, left, and Lono Padilla perform on kahiko
night during the 2017 Merrie Monarch Festival.