Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 4, 1 April 1991 — Festival honors "Molokaʻi Ka Hula Piko" [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Festival honors "Molokaʻi Ka Hula Piko"

The Destination Moloka'i Association will present "Moloka'i Ka Hula Piko - A Celebration of the Birth of Hula" on Moloka'i Saturday, May 11 at Kapu'aiwa Coconut Grove near the town on Kaunakakai. All events are free. The celebration will begin at 10 a.m. and eonhnue until sunset. It features performances by Moloka'i halau hula, including the Halau Kukuna'okala, kumu hula John Kaimikaua, Halau Hula O Moloka'i, kumu hula Rachel Kamakana, and Moana's Hula Halau, kumu hula Moana Dudoit. In addition, Hawaiian vocal and instrumental groups will perform and Hawaiian games and sports contests will be held at various times throughout the day. A variety of traditional Hawaiian crafts will be demonstrated and sold, and Moloka'i food specialties and other refreshments will be available. The celebration will be preceded by a dedication ceremony at Ka'ana, considered the traditional birthplace of the hula, located above the town of Maunaloa in west Moloka'i. The ceremony, conducted by John Kaimikaua, will be attended by Moloka'i hula teachers, dancers, students, and others interested in Hawaii's hula traditions. "The ho'okupu at Ka'ana will be offered as a means for admirers of the ancient hula to express their Hawaiian-ness," Kaimikaua said. Moloka'i Ranch will provide access to its Maunaloa lands for the ceremony. The creation of the hula on the island of Moloka'i is described as follows by Phil Spalding III in his book, "Moloka'i": "In ancient times, the forests of Maunaloa were celebrated for their lush groves of 'ohi 'a trees. The blossoms of the 'ohi 'a lehua were admired for their ability to inspire love when fashioned into a lei. A famous hula school was located on the slopes of Maunaloa at Ka'ana, whieh a tradition indentifies as the birthplace of the hula. At Ka'ana, the goddess Laka learned to dance from her sister Kapo, and from Maunaloa she traveled throughout the Hawaiian Islands teaching the hula before returning to these groves she loved." During the week preceding the celebration, kumu hula John Kaimikaua will offer lectures on

the hula and mo'olelo (story-telling) related to Moloka'i historic sites. The public is invited to attend the lecture series, whieh will be held at Colony's Kaluakoi Hotel and Golf Club Ho'aloha Room Tuesday, May 7, through Thursday, May9, at 7 p.m. and Friday, May 10, at 2 p.m. Kaimikaua is cultural advisor to Destination Moloka'i Association on the celebration. For additional information on the hula celebration and travel to Moloka'i, write Destination Moloka'i Association, 1600 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 923, Honolulu, HI 96814, or phone (800) 367-4753 (ISLE) toll-free from the U.S. and Canada, (808) 941-0444 in Honolulu, or (808) 5533876 on Moloka'i.

"Moloka'i Ka Hula Piko" on May 11 features performances by Moloka'i halau hula. Kumu hula John Kaimikaua, will perform with his halau and lecture on hula and mo'olelo of Moloka'i sites.

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