Back in 1963 Hawaiʻi Island was struggling economically.
A recent tsunami had caused devastation, and the decline of sugar plantations along the Hāmākua Coast had further weakened the local economy. Helene Hale, Hawaiʻi County chairwoman at the time, introduced the Merrie Monarch Festival as an opportunity to boost tourism as a means of economic recovery.
In 1964, the Merrie Monarch Festival was born. The first festival featured a relay race, a barbershop quartet, a King Kalākaua beard lookalike contest, a recreation of King Kalākaua’s coronation, and a Holokū Ball.
Despite initial enthusiasm, support for the festival dwindled after a few years. However, Executive Director Dottie Thompson revitalized it in 1971 by introducing a hula competition. Then in 1976, the competition expanded to include men – drawing even more interest and cementing the festival’s place in Hawaiian culture.
The festival’s revival coincided with the Hawaiian cultural renaissance, a movement that encouraged the resurgence of Hawaiian language, arts, crafts, music, and voyaging traditions. The festival grew rapidly, eventually expanding to a full week. Interest in the festival steadily increased and in 1978 the event outgrew its original venue at the Hilo Civic Auditorium and was relocated to the Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium.
In 1981, a solution for the festivals growing popularity emerged: for the first time, the festival was televised, allowing elders and those unable to attend in person to enjoy the hula performances from their homes.
By 2013, the festival had celebrated its 50th anniversary, marking its transformation from an economic initiative to a deeply significant celebration of Hawaiian culture.
In the early 1950s, while living in Keaukaha, my dear friend and neighbor Johnny Lum Ho and I spent hours singing together on the porch of my home on Krauss Avenue. We loved challenging each other to hit the highest notes. Johnny possessed a smooth falsetto voice, and after I moved to Honolulu with my ʻohana, he went on to sing professionally with Aunty Edith Kanakaʻole’s hālau.
One day, Johnny called to tell me about the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, organized by Aunty Dottie Thompson and Uncle George Nāʻope. He was planning to enter and, over the next 20 years, he became one of the most accomplished kumu hula in Hawaiʻi. Johnny was admired for his original compositions and creative hula interpretations. He had a way of making chants come alive.
One memorable year, his hālau performed a mele about wind, rain, and storms and, as if nature itself was responding, the stadium was battered by strong winds, heavy rain, and experienced a power outage.
His mele often captured aspects of traditional Hawaiian life, such as how ancient Hawaiians treated ʻuku (fleas) in a child’s hair or the many uses of ti-leaves – for wrapping food, making hula skirts and garlands, or serving as part of healing rituals.
In 1992, Johnny honored me by inviting me to sing for his Hālau Ka Ua Kani Lehua at the Merrie Monarch Competition for my daughter Napua’s performance in the Miss Aloha Hula competition. I will always cherish this special experience.
Although the Merrie Monarch Festival was initially created to stimulate Hawaiʻi Island’s economy, it has come to mean so much more. It stands as a testament to the resilience and beauty of Hawaiian culture.
Just as King Kalākaua, the Merrie Monarch, sought to strengthen the Hawaiian people through the revival of cultural traditions, this festival ensures that Hawaiian heritage continues to thrive for generations to come. My deepest mahalo to my dear friend, Luana Kawelu, for continuing this important legacy.
