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Gather up prime things we love about Hawaii — hula, music, history, fine arts and crafts and ono grinds — and sprinkle it across the lawn of ‘Iolani Palace.
Add in free admission to the festival and to the first floor and downstairs galleries of the palace, and the result is two full days of “hula heaven.”
The Prince Lot Hula Festival 2019 has the theme “I Mua E Na Poki‘i,” translating to “Move Forward, Oh Youth,” and celebrates the transmittance of hula traditions. A total of 21 halau will perform over two days, with dancers ranging in age from keiki to grandparents. Hula really has no age limit.
In addition to seven hours of hula on Saturday and six hours on Sunday, awards will be presented by the Moanalua Gardens Foundation.
The Namakahelu Oli award for excellence honors those who carry on the tradition of chant, Hawaiians’ method for keeping history before the existance of a written language. This year’s recipient is master chanter Kamuela Chun of Hilo.
Chun grew up in Moiliili, attended Kamehameha Schools then moved to Hilo for a degree in anthropology. There he began dancing hula with Aunty Edith Kanaka‘ole and then her daughters, Pua and Nalani, learning the art of chant and graduating as a kumu. In 1999, he made history when he chanted the entire Kumulipo, the creation chant, in various places including Iolani Palace. For over 30 years he has been chanter for the Merrie Monarch Royal Court.
KUMU HULA Hokulani DeRego will be posthumously honored with The Malia Kau Award. Known as “Aunty Hoku,” she died in 2016 at age 57. With her husband, Larry DeRego, she founded the Hula ‘Oni E. Hula Festival in 1991; as a kumu, she brought hula to thousands of students and audiences around the world.
Larry DeRego and their three kumu daughters, Leinani Kahikilaulani Lauaki, Kehaulani Kaleikaulana Ka‘ihe Kawai and Leonani Naho‘oikaika, who carry on the DeRego style of hula with Halau Hula ‘O Hokulani, will accept the award.
Larry DeRego tells amazing stories about his travels around the world with Hokulani, presenting the art of hula.
“In Vienna,” he says, “we were taken to tour a castle, following in the footsteps of King David Kalakaua, where he visited and stayed. In the bedroom where he slept, the bed was covered in a blue and white Hawaiian quilt. Chicken skin!”
The DeRego daughters all agree that their destiny was teaching hula. The daughters share memories and the DeRego style of hula with their haumana, their students, and with audiences wherever they perform.
They describe the style as low to the ground, showing strength, as, well as soft and lofty, showing elegance.
Kawai described one performance at the Merrie Monarch Festival as an “Olympic” challenge when they danced in holoku gowns with the long train.
“We learned our halau style, no kicking the train out of the way, just moving gracefully around the stage,” she recalled. In media coverage it was described as “tougher than an Olympic sport.”
For hula knowledge, the family carries on the teachings of kumu Agnes Cope, Lokalia Montgomery and Maiki Aiu Lake.
Kawai says she was the hula baby. She remembers being 3 or 4 years old, going to class with the big girls, “maybe age 6,” dancing under the jungle gym at Ka‘ala Elementary School.
Kawai describes her mom as humble and loving woman from Wahiawa. “I love the stories I hear about her students, beginning with the 5-year-olds, waiting in line for a hug after class,” she said.
The festival will deliver many of Hawaii’s finest halau presentations. Participating kumu include Vickie Holt Takamine and Mapuana de Silva.
After an absence of four years, Kumu Hula Robert Cazimero is bringing Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua to dance, and said he’s eager to experience the new stage at the festival. The halau will appear on Saturday at 9:50 a.m.
“We are looking forward to the festival, a new place and new experience for our dancers,” he said.
On Sunday at 11 a.m., Halau I Ka Wekiu, led by Na Kumu Hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Lanakila Casupang, will perform a special tribute to fire goddess Pele featuring 90 dancers.
The lawn of the Palace is open to grass seating and low back chairs. Folding chairs are available under tents with covered seating for kupuna. With the backdrop of the palace and a raised stage for hula, the view will be great and photos welcome.
42ND ANNUAL PRINCE LOT HULA FESTIVAL
>> Where: ‘Iolani Palace
>> When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-3p.m. Sunday
>> Cost: Free
>> Info: moanaluagardensfoundation.org
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