Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 4, 1 April 2011 — Talented Farden family at Kamehameha song contest [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Talented Farden family at Kamehameha song contest

By Francine Murray The Blasdell Center was alive and beaming with team spirit at the 91st annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest on March 18. This year's Musical Journey honored Aunty Irmgard Larden Aluli, who has composed well over 200 songs of places, love and life. Her 'ohana were special guests at the event, with many of them performins durins the Hō'ike, From Irmgard wilh Love, dedicated to Aunty

Irmgard's last surviving sibling, Edna Pualani Larden Bekeart, who upholds the legacy of Larden music and hula at age 93. "It's been a privilege," said Hailama Larden, Aunty Irmgard's

grandnephew and the Kamehameha Schools Vice Principal for grades 9 and 10. "When Aunty Irmgard was going to turn 90, I was bugging the music department to do a song contest on Aunty Irmgard." Sadly she passed away four days before her 90th birthday. "Last June I got a eall. They said, 'This year we

are thinking of honoring Aunty Irmgardandher music.' I toldthem it would be her 100th birthday this year, and it would be perfect." The competing classes performed 10 of Aunty's many compositions. Some were her great classics, like "Puamana" and "E Maliu Mai," and others were lesser known, like "Momi A'o Ku'u Pu'uwai," whieh the senior men performed. This song had only been performed publicly onee before, by Aunty Genoa Keawe. The song was originally written by Moses Naehu for his wife. Eventually Naehu passed away, and in 1983 his family eame to Aunty Irmgard saying that when he passed away the music died with him. They no longer knew the tune and asked Irmgard to bring life back to this mele by composing music to it. When it was complete, Aunty Irmgard told them to take it to Aunty Genoa and ask her to sing it for Moses Naehu's daughter's birthday. She did. The song contest was televisedlive on KGMB and sponsored in part by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Alexander & Baldwin, Ine., Bank of Hawai'i and Sandwich Isles Communications Ine. For information on the song contest and to view the broadcast for a short time online, visit www.ksbe.edu/2011/song-contest. ■

Clean sweep The Class of 201 1 swept the awards of the night. Here is the list of awards.

>2011 Charles E. King Cup, Combined Class Award Senior Class > 2011 Helen Desha Beamer Award, Best Musical Performance Senior Coed > 2011 George Alanson Andrus Cup, Boy's Competition Avrard Senior Men > 2011 New England Mothers ' Cup, Girls

Competition Senior Women > 2011 Richard Lyman Jr. Trophy, 'Ōlelo Makuahine Award Tie: Senior Girls and Senior Coed > 2011 Louise Aoe McGregor Award, Outstanding Student Director Miyamoto Wilson of the Senior Women

The senior women react to the Class of 201 1 being named the winner of the Charles E. King Cup, the song contest's top award. - Photos: Francine Murray

Miyamoto Wilson.