Merrie Monarch 2017 Results: Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e Wins Title

Merrie Monarch, Photo by Wendy Osher.

Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, under the direction of Nā Kumu Tracie and Keawe Lopes won the overall title in the 2017 Merrie Monarch hula competition held in Hilo, Hawaiʻi.

The 54th annual event had 23 participating hālau compete over the course of three days in traditional and modern hula performances at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium.

The winning hālau from Pū‘ahu‘ula, Ko‘olaupoko on O‘ahu, were the final group to perform on both Friday and Saturday night. Their ‘auana selection was Mauna Lahilahi, a mele that paid tribute to Mr. Jack Waterhouse who lived at the location.  For their kahiko selection the hālau chose Wai‘oli, a mele that honored Queen Kapi‘olani and her kinship to the Wai‘oli area of Kaua‘i, according to festival material.

There were four Maui hālau competing in this year’s event, including: the women of Pukalani Hula Hale under the direction of Kumu Hiʻilei Maxwell-Juan; the men and women of Hālau Kekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻiliahi under the direction of Nā Kumu Haunani and ʻIliahi Paredes; the women of Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka, under the direction of Kumu Nāpua Greig; and the women of Hālau o Ka Hanu Lehua, under the direction of Kumu Kamaka Kukona.

Hālau Kekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻiliahi placed 3^rd in the Overall Kāne, and 2^nd in the Kāne ʻAuana divisions. Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka placed 5^th in the Wahine Kahiko division and also brought home the 4th runner up spot (5^th place) in the Miss Aloha Hula competition with their solo entrant, Miriam Anuhea Kamakanaokealoha Hokoana Arakawa.

Overall:
1^st 1168: Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, Nā Kumu Tracie & Keawe Lopes (wahine)
2^nd 1163: Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, Nā Kumu Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV & Lono Padilla (wahine)
3^rd 1148: Kawaili‘ulā, Kumu Chinky Māhoe (wahine & kāne)

Kāne Overall:
1^st 1148 Kawaili‘ulā, Kumu Chinky Māhoe
2^nd 1133 Hālau I Ka Wēkiu, Nā Kumu Karl Veto Baker & Michael Casupang
3^rd 1132 Hālau Kekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻiliahi under the direction of Nā Kumu Haunani and ʻIliahi Paredes

Wahine Overall:
1^st 1,168: Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, Nā Kumu Tracie & Keawe Lopes
2^nd 1,163: Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, Nā Kumu Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV & Lono Padilla
3^rd 1,143: Hula Hālau ‘O Kamuela, Nā Kumu Kunewa Mook & Kau‘ionālani Kamana‘o

Kāne Kahiko:
1^st 580: Kawaili‘ulā, Kumu Chinky Māhoe
2^nd 556: Hālau Hula ‘O Kahikilaulani, Kumu Nāhōkūokalani Gaspang
3^rd 562: Ke Kai O Kahiki, Kumu La‘akea Perry
4^th 558: Kawai‘ulaokalā, Kumu Keli‘iho‘omalu Puchalski

Kane ‘Auana
1^st 584: Hālau I Ka Wēkiu, Nā Kumu Karl Veto Baker & Michael Casupang
2^nd 581: Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi, Nā Kumu Haunani & ‘Iliahi Paredes
3^rd 568: Kawaili‘ulā, Kumu Chinky Māhoe
4^th 567: Ke Kai O Kahiki, Kumu La‘akea Perry

Wahine Kahiko
1^st 590: Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, Nā Kumu Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV & Lono Padilla
2^nd 589: Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, Nā Kumu Tracie & Keawe Lopes
3^rd 584: Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leinā‘ala, Kumu Leinā‘ala Pavao Jardin
4^th 576: Hālau Mōhala ‘Ilima, Kumu Māpuana de Silva
5^th 575: Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka, Kumu Nāpua Greig

Wahine ‘Auana
1^st  579: Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, Nā Kumu Tracie & Keawe Lopes
2^nd  578: Hālau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, Kumu Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval
3^rd 573: Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, Nā Kumu Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV & Lono Padilla
4^th 571: Hula Hālau ‘O Kamuela, Nā Kumu Kunewa Mook & Kau‘ionālani Kamana‘o
5^th 566: Hālau Hula O Kauhionāmauna, Kumu Denise Kauhionāmauna Kia Ramento

Miss Aloha Hula 2017:
1^st (1075, 1499, 18.6): Kelina Kiyoko Ke‘ano‘ilehua Tiffany Eldredge of Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua, Nā Kumu Hula Lono Padilla & Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV. (Eldredge also took home the Hawaiian Language Award in the solo competition).
2^nd  (1075, 1499, 18.4): Julyen Machiko Kaloke Kaluna of Hula Hālau ‘O Kamuela
3^rd 1024 Chelei Kameleonalani Kahalewai of Kawaili‘ula
4^th 1015 Amanda Hiwalei Aliser of Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala
5^th 1006 Miriam Anuhea Kamakanaokealoha Hokoana Arakawa, of Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka

Judges at this years event were: Ainsley Halemanu, Rachel Lahela Ka‘aihue, Pualani Kanaka‘ole Kanahele, Etua Lopes, Pi‘ilani Lua, Keali‘i Reichel and Kalena Silva.