Well, one good thing to come out of Aloha's closing is that it reminded me of the annual Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, Hawaii. This year, the Festival begins today, and runs through April 5th. The best hula in all the world will be showcased at the Festival - wahine and kane (women's and men's divisions - pronounced "vah-hee-nay" and "kah-nay") and two different styles: kahiko (traditional style "kah-hee-koh") and auana (modern"ow-ah-nah").
To get a glimpse of some of this beautiful style of dancing, start here on YouTube... But there's something about the kane kahiko...
UPDATE: You will note that it's very similar to a Tahitian haka - which isn't odd, since the Hawaiians came in to Hawaii from that general area, and certainly brought those traditions along with them. However, it is my undertanding (and I could be VERY wrong), that hula tells a story, but the haka is more of a formal threat display, or a war chant... Again, I could be wrong ;-)
Recent Comments