Merrie Monarch 2016

[opihikao]

Friendly reminder: It's that time of year! The festivities shall soon begin.

Here is the link to all the information (ie. schedules of events, etc.):

Welcome, and thank you for sharing your aloha for hula and the Hawaiian culture. The Merrie Monarch Festival is a non-profit organization that honors the legacy left by King David Kal#257;kaua, who inspired the perpetuation of our traditions, native language and arts.

Our week-long festival features an internationally acclaimed hula competition, an invitational Hawaiian arts fair, hula shows, and a grand parade through Hilo town.

2016 festival: March 27 - April 2


http://www.merriemonarch.com/


Enjoy!

[opihikao]

FYI:

Imiloa will also have various events during Merrie Monarch:



http://www.imiloahawaii.org/158/merrie-m...t-programs

[Kiana]

Mahalo for the MM links!

Was wondering if anyone had tips for attending the free Wednesday evening Ho'ike performances? How soon to get there, what to bring, best spots to sit, etc.? We want to finally try to get there this year!

We've heard about the faithfuls that line up the night before and by early morning!

[shockwave rider]

Bring a pillow to sit on, the concrete seats can make your butt go numb after a few hours. The lines form really early on the Ho'ike night so plan on being in line for a couple of hours. unless you want to be in the nosebleed seats.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

You may notice something different at the Festival this year. Due to the ohia wilt virus, most dancers will not wear the red ohia blossoms in their performances. Kumu hula and dancers want to avoid entering forests where the wilt may be present, and inadvertently spreading it to other areas of the island:

http://hawaiipublicradio.org/post/merrie...thout-ohia

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard

[opihikao]

quote:

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Originally posted by Kiana

Mahalo for the MM links!

Was wondering if anyone had tips for attending the free Wednesday evening Ho'ike performances? How soon to get there, what to bring, best spots to sit, etc.? We want to finally try to get there this year!

We've heard about the faithfuls that line up the night before and by early morning!

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Aloha, Kiana. Yes, take pillows, and plan to be there early. Follow the Japanese buses (full of people) and stand as close to them as possible in line...[]

Buy some local food while you wait, and take your tablet or phone to watch it online (if you're still waiting in line when it starts). Lots of booths to peruse, lots of media, lots of "fanfare", etc. Parking may be a challenge, thus, plan early.

(*Note: We're not going anywhere during the festivities...traffic is going to be horrid, stores will run out of provisions, the town will be filled with many, many, many, visitors, and this island is short of two hundred (200) rooms, as of today (halau included in the count). Combined with the Haili Volleyball Tournament, OMG! [xx(]).

Please wave at all of us watching online from home, should you venture into the "abyss". For some, it is a "once in a lifetime experience"; for others, it's better to watch from home.

Enjoy all the festivities. Sure wish I was younger to enjoy some of the upcoming moments (the best are back stage! [8D] This year, as an example, there are new judges, new "mana", and new criteria.

As one younger Kumu stated, "It is time for traditionalist to step aside, and allow us to move forward...as a people." Here is some of his work (2013 - Mark Keliihoomalu; as he calls to Pele for guidance, strength, and direction):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4byaD9Jb2jg

The history of the "Merrie Monarch", with Uncle George Naope, as the "headmaster", and Aunty Dottie as "head-mother" (if there is such a thing...lol).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0rOYmA-rdA


Perhaps, TMI, apologies for the same. Enjoy!


P.S. Sure wish this County/State would afford our hula festival the funding for sound preservation (not just the "commercial" opportunies.)

JMO.

[Carey]

Wed. night is not on live TV...
I take nice huge stack of frozen Ti leaves to work on while waiting in line on Wed. I make Ti leaf leis & pass them out to all around me...keeps me cool, occupied & I have no problems with having people around me 'hold' my spot in line if I have to go away for a bit....
OH...and be aware that you cannot take in any seats with "backs", not just stadium seats, even the more collapsable ones are not allowed in
And always remember that there is a free all day hula festival on Easter Sunday at the Afook-Chinen auditorium (across Ho`olulu complex from the Tennis Stadium) with local and international talent... this is the most informal of the events, with people coming & going and I have never seen it anywhere near crowded....
Oh & this year will be the first chance to enjoy the paved parking that is being put into the whole Ho`lulu complex

[mermaid53]

And Hawaiian Airlines will hike up the airfares affecting all the halaus, their friends and families. They will get the business they wish for w/out jacking up the prices. It's too bad they won't give back to the local communities for our business over the years by giving kamaaina rates during the Merrie Monarch time period.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

And Hawaiian Airlines will hike up the airfares affecting all the halaus

Hawaiian Airlines is one of the biggest sponsors of the Festival. They donate funding and freight transport for many of the groups associated with the event. Merrie Monarch would not be the showcase for hula we now enjoy without the support of Hawaiian Air unless other prices were significantly increased, such as ticket prices to get into the competition.


"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard

[Obie]

Gotta call BS here !

Just fact checked this by trying to buy tickets from HNL to ITO.Price is only a few dollars higher than the lowest price and less than it would cost to fly tomorrow.

quote:

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Originally posted by mermaid53

And Hawaiian Airlines will hike up the airfares affecting all the halaus, their friends and families. They will get the business they wish for w/out jacking up the prices. It's too bad they won't give back to the local communities for our business over the years by giving kamaaina rates during the Merrie Monarch time period.

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