E Hula Mau - Hawaiian Hula Competition this weekend!

This Friday through Sunday, it's the 15th annual E Hula Mau Hula and Chant competition, the only one of its kind in Southern California. It's three days of hula, mele (song), arts, crafts, food, and fellowship, held in the beautiful Terrace Theater of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center - participating halau come from all over the mainland United States.

Friday is dedicated to solo performances, Saturday focuses on "kahiko" hula (which is the traditional, chanting kind and Sunday is filled with "'auana", or modern, performances, which means non-traditional instruments like guitar, piano, etc. accompany the dance. You might not have realized that there was a traditional and a modern style to hula - that's why you should come check this out!

Cool thing about E Hula Mau is that there are also vendors outside in the courtyard area and lobby so you can browse/shop/eat without needing a ticket to go in the auditorium. There are also live performances outside in the courtyard as well as lei making workshops and other arts and crafts activities. Parking isn't cheap, I think it's 10 bucks to park in the structure but, well, what are you gonna do, it's downtown Long Beach.

KPCF presents the Kilohana Dance Company in Na Ali'i: Hawaiian Monarchy

Ke Po'okela Cultural Foundation

Na Ali'i: Hawaiian Monarchy

Sat. August 29, 8:30 p.m. at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood - a Hawaiian music & dance extravaganza!

My good friend kumu hula Rolanda Reese will be debuting her Kilohana Dance Company at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood this month!

Na Ali'i: Hawaiian Monarchy is a tribute to the Kings and Queens of Hawaii - from King Kamehameha to Queen Lili’uokalani - whose saga will be eloquently expressed in mesmerizing dance movement as performed by the Kilohana Dance Company, choreographed and directed by Kumu Hula Rolanda Reese and set to live music by renowned Hawaiian Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning musicians: Horace Dudoit III, Chris Kamaka (as in Kamaka 'ukulele) and Glen Smith.

This special performance marks the debut of the Kilohana Dance Company at the Ford - 35 beautiful hula dancers performing traditional and contemporary dances, plus a special choir from the First Samoan Congregational Christian Church singing traditional 5-part harmony. Kumu hula Patrick Makuakane, whose dance company has performed at Carnegie Hall, will narrate the event.

This event is presented by the Ke Po'okela Cultural Foundation and is a part of the Target Dance Series in the beautiful outdoor Ford Amphitheatre nestled in the Hollywood Hills.

Tickets: Adults $35, Student/child $5

To purchase tickets:

Phone: 323-461-3673

email: mjbenrahm@aol.com

http://www.fordtheatres.org/en/events/090829_2030.asp

Please feel free to post any thoughts or comments and be sure to sign up on the email list so we can keep you informed of future events

2009 Aloha Falsetto Festival part 1

Wow what a weekend it was! It was like history in the making - a beautiful afternoon and evening with some of the biggest names in Hawaiian entertainment from the islands and Southern California at the 2009 Aloha Falsetto Festival: Kekaimoku Yoshikawa and Leokane Pryor knocked it out of the park, Pomaika'i Keawe Lyman's first ever solo concert performance, Weldon Kekauoha, Bryan Tolentino and Alika Boy delivered a solidly entertaining set which ended in Weldon's beautiful arrangement of "Queen's Jubilee"...and a very rare concert appearance by the legendary Uncle Richard Ho'opi'i - to name just a few highlights!

If you didn't make it to the show, I'll fill you in on what you missed but first I'd like to share one of my personal favorite moments: when the three kumu hula got up to dance at the end of the show! Pomaika'i sang a 3-song medley of Pauoa Liko Kalehua, Mauna Loa and Haleiwa Hula that was danced by Keali'i Ceballos, Rolanda Reese and Kekaimoku, respectively. The idea first came about when we were doing the live podcast with Piko on the Hawaiian Concert Guide and we were talking with Pomaika'i and her father Eric. They sang that medley to us over the Skype lines and someone had the idea to have the three kumu each do one of the songs. It could have been my idea because of my involvement with flamenco where that kind of thing happens very often at the end of a show - they like to get the singer or the percussionist or the guitarist to dance a little at the end to show what they know and it never fails to make the audience go nuts! Rolanda, also known as "Aunty Mohala" is a well-known kumu but is actually very shy and talk about historic moments - for her to get in front of the mic on the podcast and to get out on stage like that was a very rare thing indeed. Even I had never seen her dance before so it was such a treat to see! By the way, don't forget about the big show she's putting on August at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre Saturday August, 29, 2009.

More to come....please sign up on the right side of the page to be a subscriber to my blog

San Dimas Ho'olaule'a this weekend

Come down to San Dimas for a fun weekend of Hawaiian music, dance and food! I'll have a booth there as well - look for the banner for Aloha Falsetto Festival, to the right of the stage, on the way to the food area.

Here's the entertainment schedule for the weekend:
Emcee Kamaka Brown
(Entertainment subject to change)

June 13, Saturday

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Opening ceremony
10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Kimo West
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Martin Espino
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m Ohana A Aikane
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. Hitia O Te Ra
12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Kawalea
1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Kawika Laua ‘O Leinani
2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Tago Le Pasefika
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. O’ahu
4:00 p.m – 4:45 p.m. Ka’Ohana Ho’Onani
4:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Moana
5:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Jerome Grey Trio
5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Le Polynesia
6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Kolohe Ukulele Club
7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Mehana
7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Closing - O’ahu

June 14, Sunday

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Opening ceremony
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Hawaiian Soul and Ohana Friends
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Halau Na Pua Lehua I Ka Ua Noe
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Hula Halau Na Hua O Maile
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. A Hawaiian Experience
1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. O’ahu/Manea Dancers
2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Na Hoa O Ka Hale Kanu
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Closing - O’ahu

Go to this link for more info and directions. Hope to see you there!

Mitch Chang
Kala Koa Entertainment
http://alohafalsettofest.com/