#maui hula

Kahiko night at the Merrie Monarch Festival featured hula in the ancient style with 29 groups performing Friday night in the annual competition in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. The festival continues tonight with ʻauana or modern hula, followed by results from the 63rd event.

Grammy nominee and multi Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner Kumu Hula Kamaka Kukona will celebrate the release of his highly anticipated senior musical project, “KAHENEWAI’OLU,” with a special performance at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m.

Multiple award-winning Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka o Uka, under the direction of Kumu Hula Nāpua Silva, brings this year to a close with an inspirational performance “Hanau Ke Ali’i, A King Is Born.”

Hula O Nā Keiki – a solo competition for young hula practitioners – returned to the Outrigger Kāʻanapali Beach Resort this past weekend. All eight contestants represented their hālau and hula lineages. The two overall winners were Khandi-Pearl Holi and Luke Hilinaʻi Aquino – both students of Hālau o ka Hanu Lehua, under the direction of Kumu Hula Carlson Kamaka Kukona III.

Kū Mai Ka Hula (“Hula Appears”), Maui’s only adult hula competition, returns to the Castle Theater for its 17th annual event Saturday, Sept. 14.

PacWhale Eco-Adventures has announced that Marty Dread, known as Hawaiʻi’s Reggae Ambassador, will return to its bi-weekly Friday sunset cruise, starting Aug. 2.

A spring concert led by Maui Choral Arts Artistic Director & Conductor John Rowehl, pianist Lotus Dancer and a 60-voice chorus, will combine two 30-minute choral movements on Sunday, April 21.

This week on Maui, there will be several free concerts, a variety of fundraisers for wildfire victims with music from jazz to Hawaiian, and Lahaina Grown band founder performs in Kula. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

A premiere hula competition, a Bon Dance and a gathering of New Age performers may seem worlds apart from each other, but all three have something in common: helping Maui wildfire victims. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

Several entertainment fundraisers on Maui, Oʻahu, California and Washington are scheduled this weekend and into September to benefit Maui wildfire victims, including a Maui Jazz and Blues Festival and country western concert, both in Kula.

Scores of artists rally to create three fundraising jazz, blues and Hawaiian concerts for Maui wildfire victims. Also this week on Maui, critically acclaimed guitarist-singer Makana performs a free concert, and David Grace Jr. sings his classic soul and country songs — one of them with more than 690,000 views. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

Legendary Mick Fleetwood and his House of Rumours band highlight a week of fabulous concerts and Hawaiian festivals on Maui. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

This week on Maui, Grammy-nominated Elele Tiana has returned from a mainland tour to perform her tropical island vibe music at Ocean Organic Vodka. She is on our Top 20 list of things to do this week. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

Tickets for the annual Kū Mai Ka Hula competition, featuring award-winning hālau from around Hawai‘i, the continental US, and Japan, are now on sale at mauiarts.org.

For a list of upcoming events, concerts, shows and entertainment from Aug. 18-24, find our comprehensive listing here.

Mayor Michael Victorino announced that a group of Maui Kumu Hula and the County of Maui are in early planning stages to establish a cultural center called “Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art,” to be located in Wailuku, Maui.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center hosts a special Live @ the MACC performance and talk story, “Behind the Curtain: Mālama I Ke Ahi” with Hālau KekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻIliahi, an award-winning Maui hālau.

After months of developing rigorous safety guidelines and a television broadcast plan that will allow for a virtual audience experience, the Merrie Monarch Festival announced that the hula competition will be held this summer.

Hālau Kekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻiliahi will be hosting a special concert of hula and mele (song) at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center on Jan. 12. 

The 2019 winners were: Marcus William Kamakanamakamaeokeakua Nichols and Haily Kamakahukilani Nāwahine Nascimento, both of Hālau Nā Mamo o Puʻuanahulu, under the direction of nā kumu William Kahakuleilehua Sonny Ching and Lopaka Igarta DeVera on Oʻahu.