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Merrie Monarch veteran
Merrie Monarch lineup
William Sonny Ching takes
a chance on an album of
chants, 'Ho'oulu I Ka Na'auao'
Review and mp3 clips By John Berger
Special to the Star-BulletinWILLIAM Sonny Ching doesn't like to talk about preserving Hawaiian culture. "It sounds like something that is placed on a shelf vs. something living," said the kumu hula, whose award-winning Halau Na Mamo 'O Pu'uanahulu will compete in the 37th annual Merrie Monarch Festival today through Saturday in Hilo.
"People say that so much of the Hawaiian culture is lost and I cannot really agree with that," said Ching in an interview at his grandmother's Kapahulu home.
"I can say that so much of the culture is no longer practiced, and there are some things we don't want to practice any longer. But as far as the culture being lost -- it's there in the chants. The history, the genealogies, the protocols, the values, the morals of the people, their way of thinking, their way of life. Everything is there."
Ching and his halau have dominated the hula competition in recent years. Last year, the men took top honors in the kahiko and 'auana competitions, also winning overall honors. In 1998, the men took kahiko and overall honors, and the women took kahiko, 'auana and overall honors.
Merrie Monarch on the Internet
The entire 37th annual Merrie Monarch Festival will be broadcast at www.merriemonarchlive.com.
He encourages the use of chant outside the familiar context of hula. When his students -- and others able to communicate in Hawaiian -- visit him, they are expected to announce themselves in Hawaiian and receive a traditional chant of welcome in return.
"I tell my students that when we chant it is not only our voice but the voices of all our ancestors that have come before us and it is the voice of those who will come after us," he said. "That is what gives the voice power. When I chant, it is not only my voice but hopefully the voices of our ancestors that help to support the voice coming out."
Ching's voice is also the focal point of "Ho'oulu I Ka Na'auao," a landmark collection of Hawaiian chants released earlier this month as his debut album and certain to stand as one of the major Hawaiian albums of the year.He describes the concept of releasing an entire album of chant as a commitment that he hesitated to take. He finally decided to work with Four Strings Productions principal Tracey Terada because, "for him it was a labor of love.
"His reasons for doing it weren't to produce something for sales or air play, and he gave me pretty much free rein to do what I wanted to do. He let me do what I felt was good. If it had been someone who wanted to formulate me into something I'm not I wouldn't have done it.
"I hope this (album) stimulates others because there are some great chanters out there," Ching adds, explaining he doesn't count himself among them. He considers himself first and foremost a teacher, and hopes the album will help him reach more people and to share his love of the Hawaiian culture and the beauty of the language.
Ching describes himself as a "progressive traditionalist" who weighs his own creative ideas by asking himself, "Would my kupuna be happy with it?"
"We have to stay rooted in our culture. I really don't know what the limits are (for others) but when I've felt I've passed the line where it was no longer Hawaiian, we just don't go that route.
"When you start adding things from outside the tradition to your kahiko, then that's when it becomes muddled. For 'auana you have a lot more leeway and freedom to express yourself. If you want to create things that are pushing the limits of what is Hawaiian, that is the place to do it. But if you're going to stick to hula as a dance art form, then it's the dance that should tell the story, not the props or the costumes."
After the Merrie Monarch Festival, his halau will be preparing for its "Ho'oulu I Ka Na'auao" performance at Carnegie Hall June 3. He hopes to bring the show home to the Hawaii Theatre if a date is available.
"Hula is a great venue for making people aware of the Hawaiian culture and the Hawaiian people and through hula so many things can be taught, not only to the dancers but to the audience.
"Going to Carnegie places it on a world stage in a first-class venue and hopefully will help to educate people about where we've come from, where we are today, and where we'd like to go in the future."
Ching hopes to have a little more time available later this year for some of the other things he enjoys, such as volleyball, boogie boarding, spending time with the dogs and his family, and tending the plants in his yard. He's also interested in learning more about the traditional uses of Hawaiian plants outside the context of hula.
And, when he goes to Merrie Monarch next year it will be as a judge. Ching admits some people may take it the wrong way but he says winning a competition shouldn't been seen as the be-all and end-all of hula.
"The performance should actually be secondary to the importance of the lessons. People will say, 'He can say that -- he's won,' and maybe that's true, but we've also lost. There have been times when we won and I didn't think we deserved it and times when we haven't placed and we were happy with the performance.
"Competition is good as a short-term goal. As long as you don't let it work you or use you and you use it, then it's a good thing. Otherwise, if you dwell too much on winning you're doing it for the wrong reasons. To have a 7-minute performance dictate how you feel about yourself or your halau or your students is kind of stupid."
Following are the competitors for the 37th annual Merrie Monarch Festival. The events at the Edith Kanaka'ole Tennis Stadium in Hilo are sold out but will be broadcast at www.merriemonarchlive.com and on KITV beginning at 6 p.m. the day of the events: Merrie Monarch lineup
Miss Aloha Hula Solo Competition, 6:30 p.m. today
Hula Kahiko, Kane and Wahine, 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, and Hula 'Auana, Kane and Wahine, 6:30 p.m. Saturday
‘Ho‘oulu’ debut a
fitting introductionKUMU hula William Sonny Ching debuts as a recording artist with a landmark album that will stand as a perfect introduction to his work, his voice and the culture he loves.The chants will be most appreciated by listeners fluent in Hawaiian and familiar with the kaona (hidden meanings) Ching brings to his recordings, but a 25-page booklet provides the Hawaiian lyrics (essential for dancers), English translations, background information on the cultural context of each selection and the project as a whole.
Ching and graphic artist Preston Terada share credit for the excellent art work that provides an additional perspective on the recordings.
By John Berger
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