Merry Monarch, April 8-10th

The Merrie Monarch Festival begun forty-seven years ago and is considered the world’s premier forum for people of all ages to display their skills and knowledge of the art of ancient and modern hula.

But before we go any further, a very important contributor of the festival passed away last week.  Auntie Dottie.  In great part, she saved the festival from going dark many years ago.  “I had read about it in the paper, that they were going to do away with the hula and I called Helene Hale and I said we cannot let it die.” The year was 1971. The show took place in the Hilo Civic Auditorium.  This is the 47th Annual Merry Monarch festival. Mahalo Auntie Dottie for helping preserve a legacy so vital to the core of the Hawaiian culture.  ‘Uncle’ George Naope was also instrumental – and very important.  In this moment we honor Auntie Dottie.

The week-long festival includes art exhibits, craft fairs, demonstrations, performances, a parade that emphasizes the cultures of Hawaii, and a three-day hula competition that has received worldwide recognition for its historic and cultural significance.

Through the celebration of the Merrie Monarch Festival, thousands of people in Hawaii and throughout the world visit Hilo, Hawaii – on the Big Island.  Recently, the Merrie Monarch Festival announced changes in the statewide, televised coverage of its hula competition.  The high-definition TV broadcast event is moving to KFVE (channel 5).  This year’s hula competition, scheduled for April 8-10, 2010, will continue to be held in the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, and the festival organizers are humbled by the competition’s distinction of being the most-watched, longest-running local TV program in Hawaiʻi.

In preparation of the Merrie Monarch Festival, hula studios and instructors in Hawaii and on the U.S. Mainland hold classes, workshops, and seminars throughout the year to teach the art of hula, the meaning of Hawaiian chants and songs, the Hawaiian language, the making of Hawaiian clothing and crafts, and the history of the Hawaiian people.

The Merrie Monarch Festival is the focal point and catalyst that supports and draws together an extensive network of instructional hula studios, hula masters, instructors, researchers, professors of Hawaiian studies and students of all ages who are committed to the perpetuation and advancement of the Hawaiian history and culture.

Learn more here, Official Website for the Merry Monarch Festical(opens a new window)