DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lorna Lim, left, Leialoha Amina and Nani Lim Yap are emotional after being named the overall winner of the 43rd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival.
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Halau takes Aloha Hula, then whole competition
If you notice a special glow about the mountains of Kohala, where the newest land on earth has just begun to settle down, it might be the ladies of Na Lei O Kaholoku, who fielded not only Miss Aloha Hula, but also were the overall winner of the 2006 Merrie Monarch Festival.
It was a level playing field across the board for all wahine entrants, with multiple tiebreakers and scores that didn't vary by more than a few points. Na Lei O Kaholoku, headed by kumu Nani Lim Yap and Leialoha Amina, amassed just enough points to win the competition.
Na Lei O Kaholoku also won the wahine overall title, while Halau Hula 'O Kawaili'ula from Kailua, featuring the return of kumu Chinky Mahoe, took the overall kane, or men's division.
In last night's auana, or modern hula competition, first place in the wahine division went to Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La from Honolulu and kumu Kaleo Trinidad for their elegant performance of "Le Ana O Manoa I Ka Nani O Na Pua." Na Lei O Kaholoku took second for their sweet and pretty performance of "Manu O'o."
Third place went to Hula Halau O Kamuela from Waimanalo and Kalihi for their performance of "A Kona Hema 'O Ka Lani," which burst with color and energy and a percussion solo right out of Benny Goodman's "Sing Sing Sing."
Halau o ke 'A 'ali'i Ku Makani's performance of "Ala Pikake," a rousing torch song featuring the Brothers Cazimero on vocals, took fourth place and fifth went to Halau Mohala 'Ilima for their interpretation of "Ke Ala a ka Jeep," about the bumpy glories of off-roading.
In the Kane 'Auana, first place went to Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La and kumu Kaleo Trinidad for their performance of "Na Mele Holoholo," celebrating the joys of country living, ala "Green Acres." Chinky Mahoe's Halau Hula 'O Kawaili'ula took second for their interpretation of "Ka 'Iwa/He Manu 'Iwa," a song about the iwa bird in flight above the cliffs.
Honolulu kumu Ed Collier and Halau Na Pua Kukui came in third for "Mahai'ula," a dance about a journey to visit friends in North Kona. Fourth place went to Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua from Nanakuli and kumu Snowbird Bento for "Na U'i o Kauai," about the sacred sights of Kauai.
First place in Wahine Kahiko, or traditional hula, went to a sentimental favorite, Na Pualei 'O Likolehua from Honolulu and kumu Leina'ala Heine, for their performance of "O Haumea," that featured synchronized formation dancing, spotlighting a knee trick that made the skirts balloon suggestively.
Halau Mohala 'Ilima and kumu Mapuana de Silva took second for their performance of "A Mauna Kea 'o Kalani," a mele based on the outer-island tours of Queen Emma. Waist bags held rocks for clicking in the hands: the sound was like Bobby Darin's jazzy fingersnapping syncopation.
Na Lei O Kaholoku took third place in the Wahine Kahiko for their performance of "Ka Ho'ao O Na Ali'i, O Poli'ahii a me 'Aiwohikupua,"a tribute to Poliahu, the snow goddess overshadowed by Pele, in a graceful mass hula with spiritual flavor.
Hula Halau O Kamuela from Waimanalo/Kalihi and kumu Kau'i Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook took fourth place for their performance of "Kilauea." They wore blue-black ashy tops and fire-red skirts, symbolizing the flow of lava, and suddenly coalesced into a unified mass -- like liquid rock solidifying -- and snappily challenged the room.
Fifth place went to Halau o ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani from Kaneohe and kumu Manu Boyd for their performance of "Ka 'Uo'ou a ka Hawaii," They wore slipcover skirts and fielded what seemed to be the largest troupe of more than 30 dancers.
In the Kane Kahiko, Chinky Mahoe's Halau Hula 'O Kawaili'ula won for their performance of "He Mele No Kuali'i," featuring shaved-body beefcake strutting, with high-energy and posterior displays. Second place went to Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua from Nanakuli and kumu Snowbird Bento, for "Pa Mai Ana Ta Makani/Ho'ohua o Na Pali," in which Pele cajoles a suitor by naming every breeze in every valley on every island -- accordingly, the dancers were swathed in puffy sky-blue that resembled aerial flotation devices. The preciousness of the costumes was counterpointed by the enthusiastically macho staff wacking and thunking on stage.
Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La and kumu Kaleo Trinidad took third for their performance of "He Inoa No Laninuimehameha i Waimea." Fourth place went to Halau Ke Kia'i A 'O Hula from Kapalama and kumu Kapi'olani Ha'o, for their performance of "O Pahua Ka I Welo Mai," a genuinely funny hula that praised the parrot of Kamehameha V.
