2010 Merrie Monarch Festival results
April 11, 2010 | Hilo
Halau of kumu hula Kealiʻi Reichel, O’Brian Eselu big winners
Hilo, Hawaii – After three days of competition in Hilo, Hawaii, the winners of the 2010 Merrie Monarch Festival were announced after midnight.
The big winners overall were Ke Kai O Kahiki, under the direction of kumu hula OʻBrian Eselu, who took first place in both the Kane Kahiko and Kane Auana contests – as well as Kane Overall. Coming in a close second overall, Kealiʻi Reichel’s Halau Ke’alaokamaile, who also took first in both the Wahine Kahiko and Wahine Auana competitions.
In the Kane Overall, Sonny Ching and Chinky Mahoe both followed Eselu. Ching’s Halau Na Mamo o Puuanahulu took third place, while Mahoe’s Kawaili’ula placed second.
In the Wahine Overall, Hula Halau o Kamuela edged out Halau Mohala Ilima for second place behind Reichel’s Halau Ke’alaokamaile. During the awards for the Wahine Auana, organizers mistakenly summoned Mapuana DeSilva to the stage to accept her third place award. However, with only one point seperating the top three auana winners, an error was made during the announcement, and it was discovered that DeSilva’s Halau Mohala Ilima had in actuality won second place by a close tiebreaker.
For over six hours on Saturday night, the Big Island was host to the hula festival, which was broadcast statewide and over the internet KFVE.
Here are the Merrie Monarch final standings.
Kane – Kahiko
4th – Halau i Ka Wekiu
3rd – Halau La Leo o Laka i ka Hikina o Ka La
2nd – Kawaili’ula
1st – Ke Kai o Kahiki
Wahine – Kahiko
4th – Na Pualei o Likolehua
4th – Halau Mohala Ilima
3rd – Halau Na Mamo O Puuanahulu
2nd – Hula Halau o Kamuela
1st – Halau Ke’alaokamaile
Kane – Auana
4th – Halau Hula o Kahikilaulani
3rd – Halau i Ka Wekiu
2nd – Halau Na Mamo o Puuanahulu
1st – Ke Kai o Kahiki
Wahine – Auana
4th – Halau Hula Olana
3rd – Hula Halau o Kamuela
2nd - Halau Mohala Ilima
1st - Halau Kealaokamaile
Kane – Overall
3rd – Halau Na Mamo o Puuanahulu
2nd – Kawaili’ula
1st – Ke Kai o Kahiki
Wahine – Overall
3rd – Halau Mohala Ilima
2nd – Hula Halau o Kamuela
1st – Halau Ke’alaokamaile
I am writing to say that I am very dissappointed with the merry monach judges. It seems like every year,its the same winners. The show starting to look very boaring and depressing. Just knowing that uncle johnny was entering this year. I was excited, just wondering what kind of performance he was going to put on. And sure enough it was FABULOUS. You could hear the crowd just cheering, people standing giving him standing ovation. WOW that’s chicken skin. And then of course there’s the halau from california. who dont place at all. You hear the same winners from last year wins. The merry monarch is starting to get very boaring with the same judges and same winners. ………
The aesthetic you are judging from is not traditionally Hawaiian. That is why you are not a judge. Traditional Hawaiian Judges look for things like language, relation of costume and flowering to the kaona of the song, interpretation, and the preservation of tradition (e.g. the movements that have been passed down for generations) especially in Kahiko and somewhat in Auana. For example if you see a well recognized spanish movement then expect them to be docked for not utilizing the well thought out motions of the people of old. Hawaiian aesthetic does not look for the prettiest, most exciting etc… the traditional Hawaiian aesthetic places huge value on exact replication of ancient moves- preservation is the essence of culture otherwise we all might as well have Disney Worlds interpretation of hula- why come to Hawaii for hula in this case. Firstly religious dances like kahiko should not be judged. It is similar to having a contest for the best prayer in a church- ridiculous and offensive if you understand the Hawaiian viewpoint of the world. If for example a kumu makes something up or alters something that was created by someone else 10 or a 1000 years ago(e.g. motions, words, arrangements of mele) the judges rightfully dock huge points for that. In the traditional Hawaiian mind it is rude, an offense, to rearrange someone else’s motions or words or melody. It is in effect saying that the composer is not good enough. If someone feels like creating, one should create their own mele or dance. For example the melody to the Queen’s song, Makalapua, was changed to be beautiful in a very non-Hawaiian way. In effect the person changing the Queen’s melody is sayin that the Queen’s melody is not good enough- what an affront. I’m sure the traditional minded (like the judges present at Merrie Monarch) would find it hard to judge with high scores from a Hawaiian perspective. Now if one does not appreciate traditional Hawaiian values then please feel free to create your own culture and make the rules as you wish- Japan is a good place. So, unless you have some kind of knowledge (like that of knowing the original dance’s and how they were meant to be danced) then I would suggest trusting the people who were actually there to learn from the masters and do know the right motions, tone, pronounciations and such. Those would be aunty Pat Beacon and the rest of the exquisite judge’s there.
Maikaʻi e Kamahana!
Yes, it may get boring to some, but to those of us that know hula and its traditions, i agree with you wholeheartedly. I see more of an improvement on the judges part than in quite some time. The rules have boundaries, just like hula tradition and the more that we keep those in check, the better we are for perpetuating the culture. Often, I sometimes feel confused on the difference between the old and new, kahiko and ʻauana, if you will, especially when an ʻauana is using ʻiliʻili. But, that is what the judges do to help the Kumuhula determine the fine line, yes!
My only wish currently is to have more of some kind of rotation of different halau. There are so many halau out there in the world, i wish more were being offered the opportunity to compete and grow.
Aloha ʻaina!