Halau’s Ho‘okupu A Winner
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Del.icio.usA free hula and Hawaiian music festival comes to Kualoa Ranch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday as kumu Mary Kupau-Mikaele and Kuhai Halau O Kahealani Pa ‘Olapa Kahiko present their annual Ho’okupu Aloha program.
“Bring your dear family out and your grandparents to enjoy a beautiful day,” said Kupau-Mikaele. “Just being at Kualoa Ranch is a gift. But to go there and enjoy good music, hula and ono food is a great experience to share.
“We showcase what my students have done for the past year. It’s our gift, ho’okupu aloha ― our ‘gift of love.’ My kumu, Kawaikapu Hewett, gave us the name (for the event) 12 years ago. We don’t charge for entrance. We want the community to come out and share the music. It’s basically a Hoku Award-winner kind of day.”
Thanks to the support of John Morgan and the ranch, not only is the festival free, but so are the hula lessons she conducts at the ranch.
A large tent will shade the crowd as they listen to Hoku Zuttermeister, Natalie Ai Kamauu, Holunape, Manoa Voices, Na Kama, Kamaka Fernandez, and Horace, Glen and Chris of Ho’okena. Also on stage will be Na Opio O Ko’olau, E Ho’onani e Ke Akua Hula Halau and Halau Hula O Ke Aonui.
Kupau-Mikaele’s students will dance to the theme Ka Pua Mae ‘Ole (The Never Forgotten Flower). Mikaele points out that pua (flower) also refers to children, and that the theme focuses particularly on the transition from high school into adulthood.
“For me, it’s to never forget the students who are going to a different level of life. They’re graduating from high school. They’ve been with me for 12 years, since they were toddlers. So it’s focusing on the transition of life and celebration.”
Kupau-Mikaele plans to take 25 of her troupe to New Zealand next year, and Ho’okupu Aloha marks the beginning of the journey. The trip is planned in response to a visit last year from a New Zealand charter school. In a cultural exchange, Mikaele’s halau will spend two weeks with the New Zealand students.
For more information, call Jessie Royos at 754-5035 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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