The Bank of Hawaii Foundation is scheduled to present the 45th annual Prince Lot Hula Festival on Thursday evening in what will be the third virtual festival in a row.
The two-hour, noncompetitive hula event was filmed at the Queen Emma Summer Palace and features a mixture of auana and kahiko dances from 12 premier halau. This year’s theme is “Laukanaka ka Hula,” meaning “multitudes of hula people gather.”
The Prince Lot Hula Festival was founded in 1978 by the Moanalua Gardens Foundation in honor of Lota Kapuaiwa, who ruled Hawaii as Kamehameha V. During his reign, Kapuaiwa inspired a cultural revival, including that of hula and chant, according to the Moanalua Gardens Foundation’s website.
Three awardees are also being recognized in the event. Kekuhi Keali‘ikanakaoleohaililani and her spouse, Taupouri Tangaro, are both recipients of the Namakahelu Oli award, which recognizes chanters who have demonstrated excellence and originality in advancing Hawaiian artistic expression. The third awardee, Olana Ai, will receive the Malia Kau Award for her contributions to hula and perpetuating Hawaiian culture.
Participating halau will include Ka Pa Nani ‘o Lilinoe, Pua Ali’i ‘Ilima, Halau Hula Kamamolikolehua, Halau Lilia Makanoe, Ka Hale i o Kahala, Ka La ‘Onohi Mai o Ha’eha’e, Halau Kilipohe na Lei Lehua, Na Pualei o Likolehua, Halau Hula ka No‘eau, Halau Ka Lei ‘Ilima Kau Po‘ohiwi, Ke‘ali‘ika‘apunihonua Ke‘ena A‘o Hula and Ke Kai o Kahiki.
Those who would like to tune in to the festival’s premiere, which is scheduled to go live at 7 p.m. Thursday, can do so by visiting the Moanalua Gardens Foundation’s website (moanalua gardensfoundation.org/virtual-festival) and following the link to the livestream. The premiere also will air on KHON2, where it also will be rebroadcast at 8 p.m. Sunday, 5 p.m. Nov. 13, 8 p.m. Nov. 20 and at 4 p.m. Nov. 27.
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Linsey Dower covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
