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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 04/13/2007 : 11:12:37 AM
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I've been watching video from the Miss Aloha Hula competition last night. Such beautiful dancing!
My question concerns the musicians. Does each dancer/halau bring their own musicians for the auana or does everyone use the same musicians? Seems to me that the quality of the hula is directly related those supplying the music.
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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keoladonaghy
Lokahi
257 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2007 : 1:07:51 PM
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Sometimes halau use musicians from within the halau, friends and family, sometimes the kumu hula performs as well. Sometime they invite and bring other musicians. Ho'okena performed with Manu Boyd's halau, though I think I saw Keao Costa (Na Palapalai) playing bass with them. It might have been with another halau, Manu and some of the guys from Ho'okena backed several halau. Natalie Ai Kamau'u sang with her mother, Olana Ai's, halau. I think her husband was one of the several musicians that backed them as well. I didn't see her but it sounded like Leilani Rivera Bond singing for the Kaua'i halau. Heard Aaron Sala singing and his piano playing with a few halau as well, the very first group from Vegas, if memory serves. Jerry Santos, Hoku Zuttermeister and Barry Kimokeo backed one halau, can't remember which one.
You're right about the importance of the music, and it's a delicate line as to not have the music shine too brightly and take attention away from the dancer(s). Overall the music last night was excellent. |
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ArtSap
Lokahi
USA
267 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2007 : 12:26:31 PM
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| One interesting thing that took place this year was that a couple of the kumu hula actually sang with the musicians backing another halau. Turns out, not only are they all Kamehameha alumni, but hula brothers and sisters as well, having gone through uniki together. |
Art
SF Bay Area, CA / Mililani, HI
"The real music comes from within you - not from the instrument" |
Edited by - ArtSap on 04/17/2007 12:29:49 PM |
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keoladonaghy
Lokahi
257 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2007 : 3:35:41 PM
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| There was a documentary on Maiki Aiu Lake done on PBS Hawai'i a few years ago (I think its available on DVD, I have a copy). And Kahauanu Lake talked about how he encouraged Maiki to sing and play 'ukulele with the other musicians so that her dancers could feel her when they did 'auana as they could when she chanted for the kahiko. Manu Boyd, Vito Baker, Michael Casupang, Mapuana De Silva and probably some of the others whose halau performed over the weekend are part of that hula genealogy - they either came from Maiki's halau or from the halau of someone who was a student of Maiki. |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2007 : 8:57:36 PM
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| BTW - if any TP'ers do not have that DVD -- get it and watch it a couple of times. I wealth of important info and a very beautiful piece of work |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 12:09:43 AM
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Keola & All - you could tell by watching the halau perform, which kumu were taught by Auntie Maiki. Those are the subtle, refined, gracious hula -- no flashy, big moves, gentle hands, no wasted movement just for movement's sake. When Mapuana & Kihei De Silva were here back in February, you could see the same understated way she teaches the hula -- very true to the way her kumu wanted the mele danced. Ale`a played the music for the auana. You are very wise when you tell us that the music must not overshadow the dance. Ale'a played the music and sang the mele perfectly to enhance the hula.
Did anyone see the kane auana about the motorcycle? I forget which halau. What did you think of it? Does that show that hula is evolving or devolving? Should hula evolve? |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Sarah
`Olu`olu
571 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 03:44:19 AM
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The legendary Uncle George Na'ope is documented on video as lamenting what might be called a stalling of the evolution of hula. He regretted the loss of language, which has often resulted in composers resorting to looking up words in the dictionary to create their hula, and he also emphasized that more hulas should be written about current life, which is what the old hulas often were. He felt people now should do as they did then.
One modern one I know of is a hula about a visit to a zoo in California and seeing the elephant -- a modern subject, very enjoyable -- we saw it as a kane 'auana done at MM. A hula was also created for Puakea Nogelmeier's Toad Song, also contemporary and very fun. And Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, a very respected and talented kumu hula, has also created some modern hula, the most amusing to me of which is his Exercise hula, where the words and dance reflect an interpretation of the experience of an aerobics class.
I'm sure there are more contemporary hula out there, and also more opinions on what road hula should take.
aloha,
Sarah |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 06:20:46 AM
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Sara - I get what you are saying. Matter of fact, I have heard Dennis Kamakahi say that Kawena Pukui and other kumu thought that the young song writers should write about contemporary subjects because they would be the "old kine" songs of the future. I wonder if anyone has done a hula for "Nematoda".
And the Queen wrote mele about the water sprinkler and about her tutu forgetting her glasses were on her head. There is joy and celebration to be taken in many places and subjects.
Thanks, |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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ArtSap
Lokahi
USA
267 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 4:32:38 PM
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| Kumu Patrick Makuakane of San Francisco comes from the Robert Cazimero lineage of hula and is known for his choreography to contemporary music, classical music and opera - just about anything non-Hawaiian. As such, his choreography often consists of moves and steps that are not hula. I don't see this as being disrectful of hula or the Hawaiian culture for that matter for I understand it to be his way of expressing and interpreting his feelings. My son dances for Kumu Mark Keali`i Ho`omalu of the Academy of Hawaiian Arts (AHA). Yes, Kumu Mark is seen by many to be brash and a rebel but what most people don't know is how much respect and passion he has for the aina, the culture and for hula and that he is extremely knowlegeable and aware of their histories. He was a member of the "Waimapua" halau whose style can best be described as a warrior style, of which AHA is a reflection today. When he set out on his own to find his way he was told by his kumu to, simply put - to do it his way but do it well - and I think he's doing exactly that. Dance and music is always evolving and will continue to do so. We may not always like what we hear or see but like other things in life, it's a matter of preference. One thing I always like to say is, "You can't move forward by standing still"... |
Art
SF Bay Area, CA / Mililani, HI
"The real music comes from within you - not from the instrument" |
Edited by - ArtSap on 04/18/2007 5:19:27 PM |
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ArtSap
Lokahi
USA
267 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 5:28:12 PM
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| Wanda, the kane that performed the motorcycle choreography was from Kapua Dalire's halau, Halau Ka Liko Pua O Kalaniakea, and they danced to "Holo Holo Ka`a/Mokokaikala". Their outfits consisted of jeans and leather vests and in my opinion, the hula itself wasn't very good at all. Again, a matter of preference... |
Art
SF Bay Area, CA / Mililani, HI
"The real music comes from within you - not from the instrument" |
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Auntie Maria
Ha`aha`a
USA
1918 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2007 : 06:29:53 AM
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Regarding the wonderful Aunty Maiki DVD -- sorry to report that it went "out of print" last year. If you can find a used one, grab it!  |
Auntie Maria
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My "Aloha Kaua`i" radio show streams FREE online every Thu & Fri 7-9am (HST)
www.kkcr.org - Kaua`i Community Radio
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