The overall champions of the 62nd Annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival vaunted hula competition is a powerhouse Oahu halau who also won the title six years ago.
Oahu’s Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, under the direction of na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o also took the wahine (women’s) overall title, with 1,216 points. They edged out the wahine of Kauai’s Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, under the direction of kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin, by three points.
Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela won both the overall and wahine overall titles in 2019, but didn’t return to Hilo’s Edith Kanaka‘ole Multipurpose Stadium to defend them in 2021. The hula competition, as well as the festival itself, was canceled in 2020 because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Pavao Jardin — whose niece, Jaedyn Janae Puahaulani Pavao, took home the Miss Aloha Hula title Thursday night for the Kauai halau — took the wahine hula ‘auana (modern hula) title while Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela captured the hula kahiko (ancient hula) title.
Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala hoisted the festival’s Lokalia Montgomery Perpetual Trophy — which is awarded to the overall champions — in 2022. They came within a whisker of doing it again this year.
“Oh my gosh, it’s been a great, great Merrie Monarch Festival,” Pavao Jardin, a University of Hawaii at Hilo alumna who received her ‘uniki, hula’s formal graduation, from the late kumu hula Rae Fonseca. “You know, accolades are amazing, and we’re so blessed. We’re appreciative and we’re overjoyed. But now, I look at things a little different in life, and I love seeing all the smiling faces of all the halau. Everyone is so proud of each other and so happy for each other.
“And I think that’s what we kanaka are about.”
At least part of Pavao Jardin’s changed outlook is due to her ongoing cancer treatment. A biopsy last year confirmed a spot detected on her pancreas is malignant. But instead of dialing back her halau’s activities, Pavao Jardin brought both kane and wahine to this year’s competition.
“You know what, it was challenging. But at the same time, I’m blessed with alaka‘i, with assistants who stepped up to the plate,” she said. “On top of that, my daughter stepped up and she did an incredible job with her alaka‘i, her aunties. She knows what mama likes. She came out of my womb dancing hula.
“They made it a beautiful part of the journey for me, which I believe is a big part of my healing.”
Oahu’s Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, under the direction of kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero, came in third overall and took the kane (men’s) overall title, as well as both kane hula kahiko and hula ‘auana.
The 76-year-old Cazimero, who also is one of the brightest luminaries in Hawaiian music, is now in his 50th year as a kumu hula. He’s said that this year’s appearance — his eighth in the Merrie Monarch hula competition — will be his last.
Na Kamalei was the overall winners in 2015 and 2005, the last two times they competed at Merrie Monarch. They were also the kane division winners in 1976, the first time men competed in the Merrie Monarch.
Na Kamalei’s winning kahiko was a hula pahu (drum hula) with an updated version of his 1996 mele, “Kohemalamalama,” which Cazimero wrote about Kaho‘olawe, an island historically known as Kohemalamalama O Kanaloa — the place dedicated to Kanaloa, that gives birth to light. A group of activists called the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana conducted a successful campaign in the 1970s and ’80s to stop the U.S. military from bombarding the island for target practice.
Cazimero’s aloha to the Merrie Monarch’s competition stage was Na Kamalei’s winning ‘auana performance of “Heha, Waipi‘o,” a mele about a man unjustly criticized for building a beautiful home for his bride. Cazimero thanked the Merrie Monarch organization, the audience and Hilo, before striking up the mele. As the main mele segued into “Maika‘i Ka Makani O Kohala” as the ho‘i (exit), the 17 strutting, grinning ‘olapa shook hands, assembled into a group, started singing with Cazimero and the musicians. As the final crescendo, the halau waved energetically to the crowd as Cazimero shouted, “Mahalo, Hilo! A hui hou, kakou … bye, bye!” One of the dancers straggled behind, waving to the audience. A couple of his hula brothers rushed back to grab him and whisk him offstage, still waving.
Cazimero and Na Kamalei have, according to Merrie Monarch Festival President Luana Kawelu, been invited to perform at the free Wednesday night Ho‘ike exhibition in 2026.
Another memorable performance was the kane hula kahiko of Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, under the direction of na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla. The Oahu halau, the first runners up in both kane hula kahiko and kane overall, performed “E O Kahekilinui,” which praised Maui’s paramount chief, Kahekilinui‘ahumanu for his prowess as a warrior and his leadership abilities.
It was the final performance of Friday evening, and Paula Akana, who did stage side commentary, called the chant a “mele ma‘i,” or a chant praising the genitals of an ali‘i — a practice not uncommon during pre-Western contact times.
“Yes, part of it is a mele ma‘i,” Ka‘upu confirmed. “It was symbolic to what the mele was about.”
Ka‘upu and Padilla’s kane departed the stage to thunderous applause, apropos since Kahekilinui’s name was derived from Kane-Hekili, the Hawaiian god of thunder.
One halau that is always a crowd favorite but has yet to place in the Merrie Monarch hula competition results is Academy of Hawaiian Arts from Oakland, Calif. Kumu hula Mark Keali‘i Ho‘omalu brought both kane and wahine and both received at least their share of love from the stadium audience.
AHA’s kane hula kahiko mele Friday was “Holo Mai Pele,” recounting the arrival in Hawaii of Pelehonuamea from Tahiti. Ho‘omalu noted for the program that the epic mele from the 1800s “has been reinspired by the awesome displays of renowned Halau o Kekuhi.” His version featured his six ‘olapa with paddles for the sea voyage. The dancers stomped, as the kumu, sporting his customary shades, unleashed a smorgasbord of syncopation with both his blues-inflected chanting and rhythmic beat on the ipu heke (double-gourd percussion).
Sitting stage-side throughout and presenting the overall championship awards was Aaron Sala, who has been president and CEO of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau since Sept. 1. Sala said he’s been coming to Merrie Monarch since 1995.
“There’s still this down-home warmth about being in Hilo, being with Hawaiians practicing culture,” said Sala, who is also a musician and has an ‘uniki as a ho‘opa‘a, or chanter. “There’s something really special about that. It’s also really special that we get to share hula with the world.
“So as we start to think through regenerative tourism, I think the opportunity to use Merrie Monarch as a model for what that looks like is incredible.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
62nd Annual Merrrie Monarch Festival results
Group Overall
1. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 1,216 points (wahine)
2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 1,213 points (wahine)
3. Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero — 1,205 points (kane)
Wahine Overall
1. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 1,216 points
2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 1,213 points
3. Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval — 1,191 points
Kane Overall
1. Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero — 1,205 points
2. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 1,187 points
3. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 1,184 points
Wahine Kahiko
1. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 605 points
2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 598 points
3. Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval — 594 points
4. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 593 points
5. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 581 points
Kane Kahiko
1. Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero — 596 points
2. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 591 points
3. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 587 points
4. Halau I Ka Wekiu, na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Lanakila Casupang — 585 points
Wahine ‘Auana
1. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 615 points
2. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 611 points
3. Halau Hula O Kauhionamauna, kumu hula Theresa Kauhionamauna Ramento Tehiva — 600 points
4. Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval— 597 points (won tie-breaker)
5. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 597 points
Kane ‘Auana
1. Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero — 609 points
2. Kawai‘ulaokala, kumu hula Keli‘iho‘omalu Puchalski — 601 points
3. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 597 points
4. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 596 points
