Authentic Hilo

Authentic Hilo

Merrie Monarch Festival: Celebrating the Hawaiian tradition

During the last week of April, the city of Hilo on the Big Island is filled with people from All Over the world with the same passion: the interest in Hawaiian culture and a love for the hula. The week of 2011 Merrie Monarch Festival will be held from April 24-30, and will three days of internationally acclaimed hula competition, a craft fair, art exhibition, hula shows, and a large parade in Hilo.

Without written language, the ancient Hawaiians were able to transmit the culture, history, stories, and all aspects of life in Hawaii through hula. Hula songs and concomitant recorded Hawaiian genealogy, mythology, and the prayer of the heart and mind, so it is very important to the Hawaiians. However, when the missionaries arrived Hawaii in 1820, indicating that banned hula dance was pagan. Despite being banned, the ancient Hawaiians teach and dance followed secret until King David Kalakaua with restored the hula-handed during his reign.

Patron of the arts, especially music and dance, King Kalakaua was known as the "Merrie Monarch" for his extravagantly and fun loving. The festival is dedicated to the King and his main goal is the perpetuation, preservation and promotion of the art of hula and Hawaiian culture. The Merrie Monarch Festival maintains strict standards of authenticity, allowing the true history and culture of the ancient Hawaiians to be perpetuated. The existence of Merrie Monarch Festival helped to keep the history and unique traditions of the Hawaiians to be lost forever.

After suffering a tidal wave and the deceleration Business in the 60's, Helene Hale, President of the County of Hawaii, was eager to find a way to attract tourists to the island. In order to gather information, Hale Gene Wilhelm sent His administrative assistant, and George Na'ope, Promoter Activity, Maui to see the Maui Lahaina Whaling Spree, a community celebration Hawaii's rich history. The two returned to Hilo with an idea to launch a Merrie Monarch Festival.

Merrie Monarch Festival in 1964 was different from what it is today. The festival consisted of a beard of King Kalakaua like contest, a barbershop quartet contest, relay race, a recreation of the coronation of King Kalakaua, a holoku (Hawaiian dress) Ball and other events. The festival did not do well in 1968, until Dottie Thompson took over as Executive Director of the festival. She wanted festival to move towards a Hawaiian theme, so George invited Na'ope be in charge of the pomp and coronation, and Albert Nahalea be in charge of music.

With the intention of repeating what King Kalakaua had they brought the best Hula Dancers from around the islands to go to Hilo and perform well and the share of the quality and authenticity of hula at the time. Thus, the hula competition was introduced in 1971. At first there were only wahine (women) Hālau (school hula) who participated in the contest, but then in 1976, the festival opened competition Kane (men). Hula participants in this year's competition include Hālau the mainland and four of the Hawaiian Islands: Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai.

The 2011 festival events have not yet been released, but you can view 2010 events of the festival, along with other important event and get an idea of ​​what to expect. The Merrie Monarch Hula Competition is always in high demand. Last year, entrances to the stadium causing Edith Kanaka'ole boxes sold out ticket requests to be returned to the disappointed fans hula.

About the Author

Kiki Kalnupui, Staff writer for Discover Hawaii Tours.