E Kanikapila Kākou Week #1 Wrap

Community Hula Night  Presented by Mālie Foundation

"Hula is Life All Over the World"

It was the first Monday of EKK 2026. I got to KCC PAC at 2 pm to be sure
that everything we prepared the day before was in place and ready to go.
Many of the potted plants on the lanai were tipped over and lying on the
ground. The unexpected near gale-force winds did not cooperate. I opened
the front door for five seconds and everything we set up the night before
blew across the lobby. Auwē !

In spite of the unexpected winds and the bumper-to-bumper traffic from
Burger King Līhuʻe to the Kōloa Tree Tunnel in both directions, it was an
amazing crowd at the PAC. Master photographer Mike Teruya braved the
winds and Kapaʻa traffic to get to Puhi, and Kathleen Ho snailed her way
from the Kōloa Tree Tunnel to get to KCC PAC before the show began.
Thank you! Without your photos, this wrap would not tell the whole story.
Folks streamed in, toweling off their wet heads, and suddenly seats were
scarce in the theater. While trying to find an aisle seat for easy getaway, I
was chased away by diligent seat savers with their shawls — “No, that seat
is taken!” “Please don’t sit in my seat!” The PAC was packed when the
show began. Wonderful!

The lobby at the PAC, a brand-new facility for EKK, was like a zoo . . . a happy zoo; it was a meeting place for everyone who had not seen each other for a whole year. Folks were greeting each other, taking photos,
enjoying the “ Molokaʻi Mule with a Kick ” and bento from Puakea Grill.
Everybody was joyful, coming together to enjoy the 43rd season of EKK.
One audience member pointed out that the lobby is too crowded. “We
couldn’t take pictures and we weren’t able to socialize because it was too
jampacked with people.” Well, that’s a great start — some folks come to
EKK to take selfies and wala’au ! All good!

(Here is a Birdseye view of the busy PAC lobby)

While the four Kuma Hula were giving their hula lessons to their  haumāna
during the first hour, the audience seated in the auditorium were treated to
a special showing of the 2021 “History of EKK” video which was prepared
for the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award received by EKK
in 2021. Unable to attend the ceremony during the pandemic, this video
was created to share the background of EKK since it was started in1984.

The main Hōʻike program of EKK was led by Troy Hinano Lazaro and Maka
Herrod, CEO of Mālie Foundation, to celebrate the “Year of Nathan
Kalama” -- the founder of the Kauaʻi Mokihana Festival. Troy called on
each of the Kumu Hula to bring their haumāna to the stage to share their
version of the songs that they taught for the program tonight.

14 members of Makaʻs  Hālau Hui o Kamakaokalani filled the stage with
their graceful rendition of Hawaiian Rainbow ; first time hula dancers
swayed their hips on stage side-by-side with seasoned dancers, showing
off that “Hula is Life Around the World”. The mood was contagious and the
excited audience screamed hana hou.

For his hana hou number, Maka danced a solo hula titled Ka Wai Lehua
ʻA’ala Ka Honua , very special because it was the first hula taught by Maka
in 1992.

Kumu Troy taught  Ha’a Hula in the pre-show hula workshop; all 29 of his
Hālau Ka Pā Hula o Hinano and first-time dancers got up on stage to the
excited cheers and shouts of appreciation from the audience.

Troy sang his second song, Ka Lehua I Milia, in his beautiful voice. For the second verse, he moved to stage front and began dancing to this mele in his signature “liquid silver” style.   The first time I saw Troy dance the hula was at Nathan Kalamaʻs fiftieth birthday…decades ago…and that is when I first dubbed him “Liquid Silver” . . . every move was like sculpture in motion.

Troy then introduced kumu hula La’ela’e Guirao who was joined by her 35 dancers in beautiful muʻumuʻu and other hula attire in their first-time public debut, and they were awesome. E Pili Mai, written by Larry Lindsey Kimura with music by Cyril Pahinui and Peter Moon, and recorded by Kealiʻi Reichel, was tonight performed by the Kanikapila House Band, led by Lady Ipo. The ladies shared a beautiful hula choreography by her kumu hula Laʻamea Almeida to whom the hula was dedicated tonight. For her hana hou number, Lei Nani, Laʻelaʻe called up 8 members of her hālau to join her.

Troy then called up the band members for the next hālau led by kumu hula Līhau Paik. Her husband Kellen Paik, the other member of the popular  Kūpaoa duo, together with talented Hoku Zuttermeister, set up their instruments to accompany Hālau Kamawaelualani ; her recently created north shore hālau attracting dancers from Kīlauea, Princeville, and further north. Her entire hālau recently shared hula at their Kīlauea Christmas Concert in December.

Her 20 dancers joined Līhau on stage. They danced to Lei Ana Kauaʻi which was written by Kumu Hula Frank Kawaikapuʻokalani Hewett when he spent time as cultural consultant at Kauaʻi Coconut Beach Plantation. The song was sung by Hoku Zuttermeister, Frankʻs cousin. By now the audience was full on into the hula mood as they shouted hana hou after every number.

Līhau honored their enthusiasm with Pana. written by Līhauʻs close friend and songwriter Chad Takatsugi who gifted the song to Hoku to record. She fell in love with this mele when she first heard it. Līhau was joined by three of her dancers as Hoku and Kellen gave voice to this very beautiful song.

“While we have the luxury of music by Kellen and Hoku, weʻd like to invite the audience to come up and join the hula action on stage,” called out Troy.   What a mad rush! The hula dancers in the audience lost no time to collectively race to the stage, and by the time Hoku and Kellen started the beautiful strains of Beautiful Kauaʻi , there were so many dancers jockeying for space on the stage. Side by side…the many different choreographies of different halau each dancing their own rendition of this most popular Kauaʻi hula mele ….by this time there were 40 dancers which Troy acknowledged with his Magic in the Moonlight. Of course, once on stage, the dancers had to dance to Hanalei Moon , easily one of the favorite hula numbers for Kauaʻi dancers.

A special treat for all EKK faithful was the unsolicited appearance of one of EKKʻs longtime volunteer, Peter Sterne, who for many years guarded the entrance to the ballroom for EKK. One would never guess that this soon to be (in one month) 96-year-old “bionic man” has had two knee surgeries, two hip surgeries, and two shoulder surgeries; he is as spry and nimble as any other hula dancer! His wife Janis was right up there alongside! Amazing!

Before the intermission, Lady Ipo and Haunani Kaui demonstrated the two ʻukulele that were being given away tonight with a lucky drawing — one ʻukulele was from Kamoa and the other was from Hanalei Strings. “ Vanna Brown” ( Lady Ipo) and “ Vanna Chocolate” ( Haunani Kaui) together made the two ʻukulele shine in their feisty version of Uʻwehe Ami and Slide as the audience lent their collective voices to the catchy chorus --- “ whoa whoa whoa whoa woooooo.”

The volunteers enjoyed a flurry of donations from all those who had hopes to win the ʻukulele immediately after the intermission. GIAC President, Bev Montel, came up to the stage to draw the numbers. The two happy winners were Marla Gardner and Joy chow.   Marla was recognized for her selfless support for EKK by weekly providing transportation to pick up designated kupuna who are unable to drive at night but really want to attend EKK. Joy Chow is one of Troyʻs haumāna from when he first started his hālau.

The second half continued with more  hana hou numbers, first by two kāne hula haumāna from Troyʻs hālau decked out in their beautiful white hau hula skirts -- brandishing their bamboo stick implements. Troy sang the fast-paced hula mele titled No Luna I Ka Hale Kai.

Surprise! Surprise! Troy often goes off script and surprised his dancers who did not know they were being summoned to dance to  Halemaʻumaʻu to honor the Fire Goddess Pele and celebrate all the fiery beauty that is currently being shared at Kīlauea. Troy joined his 17 dancers . . . all of them put on a show worthy of the fiery spectacle on the volcano island … they truly rose to the occasion dancing Halemaʻumaʻu. The EKK Kanikapila musicians joined Hoku and Kellen for a full-on musical experience, kanikapila style; what a treat for the audience!

Troy then called on Maka and his dancers to share their hana hou number Holoholo Kaʻa.   Troy then launches into his unexpected impromptu comedic narrative about his relationship with Kumu Maka . . . the audience enjoyed the unscripted hilarious comedic exchange between Troy and Maka as they sorted out their relationship on stage . . . what a special interpretation of this poplar hula number. The audience was eating this up  . . . not only were they back to enjoying their hula, but they were being treated to some fun impromptu comedic flavor that was seeping into the program.

Maka Herrod explained about the collective efforts of Līhauʻs group and the Mālie Foundation to bring to life the many compositions by Nathan Kalama through a CD of his songs. Many songs were inspired by the GIAC Hawaiian Music Songwriting Camps held at Kōkeʻe from 2009 to 2012. These camps were attended religiously by Uncle Nathan for the express purpose of learning everything he could about songwriting from the collective talents of Hawaiʻiʻs most recognized songwriting experts. Līhau took the lead vocals and was joined by all the other musicians. Seven dancers joined Maka in dancing the hula Pua Hīnano , a song written by Puakea Nogelmeier.

Troy, of course, takes his role as emcee very seriously and introduced the person who asked him not to call her up on stage . . .   so, of course, he called up Iwalani Herrod, the woman behind Maka Herrod.   To ease the shock, Troy asked her if she wanted to be joined by her daughter Auliʻi and the rest of her ʻ ohana. Three other dancers came out to round out the ʻ ohana.

“Okay, audience, this is not part of the program, but if we stuck to the program, it would not be a Mālie event,” announced Troy. So then, the ʻohana danced together to the beloved Kauaʻi song Kipu Kai sung by Hoku Zuttermeister.

Troy called on Laʻelaʻe for her hana hou number. She called her family to join her for this hula about paddling in a canoe, Holo Waʻapā. The audience showed their appreciation for the wonderful sharing by her family.   For another hana hou , this time by her hālau dancers, 22 dancers joined Laʻelaʻe in one of the most beautiful hula numbers. Lady Ipo was the lead vocal for this popular song -- Pōhai Ke Aloha.

Līhau expressed her appreciation for Honolulu-based musician Hoku for jumping on the plane to join the action on Kauaʻi. Līhau called on her 12 dancers to dance to Lāʻieikawai, a song by Hokuʻs cousin Frank Hewett, with choreography by Patrick Makuakane. For her final number Līhau took the lead in the vocals with her beautiful singing of Nani Kauaʻi. Her dancers brought the song to life with their exquisite hula. What a treat!

To bring a fabulous night of sharing to a close, Troy called on everyone to stand up to honor their beloved kumu by joining in to his final hymn, Nathan Kalamaʻs Hallelujah Nō. Maka called out the words for all to join in.   To close the evening, everyone joined in to sing Hawaiʻi Aloha.   With this, everyone felt that they were back together, once again enjoying eight full weeks of hula, music and great storytelling.

(Photo Credit:   Mike Teruya and Kathleen Ho)