Kalakaua Merry Monarch Hula Festival
Break out those hula hoops! It is time for the Kalakaua Merry Monarch Hula Festival on the Hawaiian Islands.
Kalakaua Merry Monarch Hula Festival
The Kalakaua Merry Monarch Festival Hula Festival began in 1964 and is now held annually. It is the week after Easter when hula halau from the Hawaii Island and the mainland gather in a place called Hilo on the Big Island. It is considered the world’s most popular and prestigious hula competition and usually takes place in late May of each year.
Hawaiian people consider the festival a heartbeat which demands dedication and surrender to the forces of cosmos and its power to create. The festival is devoted to the gods and goddesses of old: Laka, Hopoe, Hi’iaka, Pele and Hina. Dancers believe that wrong motivation might cause anger of gods, which is why the festival is considered devotional.
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The last king of the Hawaii Islands was King David Kalakaua. His coronation took place in 1883 and included public displays of hula which, in fact, were controlled by rules of Hawaiian missionaries. He ruled for seventeen years and engineered a resurgence in Hawaiian culture as well as music. Numerous public performances of hula were widely spread during this period. The vary phrase “Merry Monarch Festival” is related to the nickname of the king which was “Merry Monarch”. The simple fact is King Kalakaua liked dance and music.
The competition lasts for three nights. Each halau starts the Merry Monarch Festival with purification rituals. The Miss Aloha Hula takes place on Thursday evening. It is a solo contest between females where each one performs hula kahiko (ancient hula) as well as hula ‘auana (modern hula). The next two nights are reserved for the participants from hula schools and individual efforts. The festival concludes on Saturday night with awards giving out to the best hula participants.
The Merry Monarch Festival represents a diverse and extremely enthusiastic crowd from all continents and numerous countries. Previously being a gymnasium show, it has expanded into a spectacle of daring, suppleness and beauty of what mele, training, body and devotion can do. If the opportunity presents itself, you should definitely make every effort to attend the event. A good time is guaranteed.