Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 10, 1 October 2010 — Group to revive 19th-century poem-chants at Kauaʻiʻs Oueen Emma festival [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Group to revive 19th-century poem-chants at Kauaʻiʻs Oueen Emma festival

Special to Ka Wai Ola by Dawn Fraser Kawahara As the upcoming Eō e Emalani L Alaka'i, aka The Emalani Festival, nears, Kumu Keahi Manea of Ka 'Lmi Na'auao O Hawai'i Nei Lnstitute's Kapa'a classes is putting the dancers of Kahiko Ha Lapa L Hula Alapa'i to the test in preparation for the Saturday, Oct. 9 opening of this year's festival. This year's Ka 'lmi presentation will be made especially meaningful, coming on the heels of a recently completed archiving project to digitize a one-of-a-kind set of 19thcentury archival books of Hawaiian poetry and journal entries in praise of the island of Kaua'i. Two chants from this old set of "mystery" treasure books will be chanted and danced for this year's Queen: IaAlohalaNoA O Waimea, in separate hula kahiko and 'auana forms, Kaulana Waimea māNoenoe. Kumu Manea's classes, and

all classes offered by the Ka 'Lmi Lnstitute, founded by Kumu Hula Roselle F.K. Bailey, have stressed the memorization and understanding of chants being performed, a challenge, since few of the haumana speak Hawaiian. But they eome to their appreciation of the language through hula oli and mele. Kumu Manea will join Waimea High School teacher and longtime Ka 'lmi member and teacher Loanne Kealamaipakalana Parongao, as well as Kumu Hula Puamohala Kaholokula in presenting their dancers in the three-part gift for this year's Queen, her Court and guests. An interesting resonance is that several of the 20 10 dancers and chanters were among those who danced these very dances at the 1979 (solo 'auana), 1981 and 1982 Merrie Monarch competitions, after they were originally researched, translated and choreographed by Kumu Bailey, who co-founded the Emalani Festival with Marsha Erickson in 1988.

The poetry of these chants focuses on the West side of Kaua'i - the rains and weather conditions that create rainbows, the streams that feed into the Waimea River, the uplands, the salt marshes that used to exist between Kekaha and Waimea, and the mountain areas of Kōke'e and high points of the island. They include Hawaiian names and allusions, some familiar even today, and some that have disappeared from current maps and been dropped from current usage. The dancers of Kahiko Ha Lapa L Hula Alapa'i will be among the many hālau from around the lslands performing at the festival following the noon arrival on horseback of 2010 Queen Tracyann Hiipoi Kanahele, the festival's first queen from Ni'ihau. The event, whieh eommemoratesthe 1871 journey of Hawai'i's beloved Queen Emma to these upland forests, also offers live entertainment and historical displays. ■ 22nd annual Emalani Festival Sat., 0ct. 9 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kanaloahuluhulu Meaelow, Kōke'e State Park, Kaua'i Free www.kokee.org 808-335-9975 ext. 0 Chant Here is an excerpt of the chant AlohalaNoA O Waimea, translated by Koki "Paul" Williams. (Copyrighted material; no portion may be used in republication or for performance purposes without permission from the Lnstitute Directors.) "... He nua lei nani no ka wai kea, He hoa pili no ka wai iliahi Nawai kaulana o ka aina Kaulana ai Kauai a puni ..." "... Lush with beautifiil lei is Kawaikea A close eompanion for Kawaiiliahi The famous waters of the land Whose fame surrounds all of Kaua'i. ..."

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Kumu Hula Roselle Bailey, seated at left, leads Ka 'lmi dancers Heu'ionalani Wyeth, Ka'iulani Martin, Sharee Anderson, Tebo Booth, Shoshanah Barretto, Birgitta Steinerand Jessi Jardin. - Photo: Courtesy of īim DeLa I /ega