2008 Merrie Monarch Hula Festival Concludes

"HILO » At last evening's 45th annual Merrie Monarch Festival, the wahine of Hula Halau 'O Kamuela repeated as winners in the kahiko and 'auana divisions as they did from last year, and the halau scored just a single point more to take overall winner honors.

Kumu hula Kau'ionalani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook's wahine from Oahu performed their winning hula last in the Saturday night competition with a beautifully choreographed "Na Ale O Ni'ihau," honoring the women of that island for the way they fashion the prized Kahelelani shell lei.

In Friday's kahiko contest, they also won with "Aia I Ni'ihau Ku'u Pawehe," once again focusing on the women of Ni'ihau for their skill in making mats of makaloa, a sage plant."

wrapup here:

http://starbulletin.com/2008/04/06/news/story02.html