2019 Moanikeala Hula Festival – a ...

  People all over the world love Hawaiian hula dancing, and serious hula dancers have much respect for their kumu (teachers). Haumana or students join halau (schools) based on the styles, traditions and reputation of the kumu. In Hawaii, it’s common for some haumana to remain in the same halau for years, ranging from keiki (children) to kupuna (elders). Hula knowledge is traditionally passed down over years of rigorous training and performances. Kumu learned the same way from their kumu— who might be someone in their own family lines. Even if not, kumu often trace...

Huilua Fishpond in Kahana Bay: Explore t...

The Huilua Fishpond, is an authentic example of ancient Hawaiian aquaculture. You will find the loko i’a (fishpond in Hawaiian) as you approach the south side of Kahana Bay. The parking just off the highway consists of just a handful of spaces. You will need to take a short walk to get to the ponds, but the effort will be well worth your time. The pond is not currently in working condition but parts of the wall are still standing, like an ancient jigsaw puzzle left by the Hawaiians from a long ago era. Fish still dart through the pond, creating muted wakes from their...

Antique pump organ still plays on at the...

The Polynesian Cultural Center is the proud owner of an 1890 Estey Pump Organ, called a parlor organ. It is about 7.5 feet tall. Isn’t it magnificent? For many years Estey produced more pump organs in the USA than any other manufacturer in its day. This organ was donated and placed here when the Mission Chapel was built in 1984. Although lovingly cared for, it has experienced long periods of disrepair due to humidity, heat, bugs and mice. The latest refurbish took almost a year to complete, from late January to early Dec. of 2014 and was directed by a volunteer, Dave Lunt...

Hui Ho’oulu Aloha: PCC revives hula hala...

When Hui Ho’oulu Aloha performed in the recent 28th annual Moanikeala Hula Festival on February 3, 2018, it was the first time in more than 20 years that the Polynesian Cultural Center’s own hula halau [school] had appeared in public. [Grammatical note: In English, we say hula halau; in Hawaiian, it’s halau hula.] PCC cultural performance specialist and kumu hula [hula teacher or master] Pomaika’i Krueger pointed out the historic origins of Hui Ho’oulu Aloha when he introduced the halau during the recent Moanikeala Festival. In Hawaiian, the name means “the group that...

A master’s touch: Restoring the tr...

  The following blog was taken from an in-depth interview with Master Carver and Polynesian Navigator, Kawika Eskaran of Laie, Hawaii, who along with Sione Tuione Pulotu, guided the design and construction of the Iosepa, a 57′ double hulled sailing canoe modeled in style and function after the ancient canoes utilized by Hawaiians to travel the seas. The Iosepa was sponsored and built through a cooperative effort between Brigham Young University – Hawaii and The Polynesian Cultural Center. When it is not sailing, the Iosepa is housed at The Polynesian Cultural...

Hawaiian Steel Guitar History

The steel guitar legacy begins in Laie The Polynesian Cultural Center has a unique connection to the Hawaiian steel guitar: Its inventor was born in Laie, home of the PCC, in 1874. Young Joseph Kekukuupenaokamehamehakanaiaupuni Apuakehau, who shortened his stage name to Kekuku, invented the steel guitar in 1885. It is sometimes said he laid a guitar across his lap and moved the back of metal comb across the frets to create the first distinctive Hawaiian steel guitar sounds. Almost 140 years later, most players now use a steel bar about three inches long to create the...