Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 5, 1 May 1996 — Kuʻukamalani Ho wins OHA's language award! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kuʻukamalani Ho wins OHA's language award!

Congratulations to Ku'ukamalani Ho of Keali'ika'apunihonua Ke'ena A'o Hula for her outstanding performance at last month's Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo. Ho was victorious in the "Miss Aloha Hula" competition, a solo competition that, over the years, has become very popular. A Hawaiian language award is presented by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs at the eompetition for the solo contestant who earns the highest score in the oli category, one of many criterion rated by the festival judges. That single line of the judging sheet is totaled from eaeh of the seven judges, thus designating the winner. Some years, the OHA language award

is awarded to one contestant while the overall Miss Hula title goes to another. This year, both went to Kamalani Ho. Her hula 'ōlapa selection, "Pā Ka Makani" payed tribute to Ka'auhelemoa, a legendary supernatural rooster from Pālolo valley, while her hula 'auana performance featured a medley of "Ka Lehua I Milia" and "He Aloha Ku'u Ipo," both eo-eom-posed by Mary Kawena Pūku'i and Maddy Lam. Congratulations to Ku'ukamalani Ho and her kumu hula Leimomi Ho, who as her mother, has spent a lifetime sharing the legacy of her own kumu hula, Victoria Keali'ikapunihonua 'Ī'ī Rodrigues, for whom the Pālolo-based hālau is named.

Ku'ukamalani Ho, winner of OHA's language award at this year's Merrie Monarch.