Happy Mother's Day!

Whew! April sure was a busy month. Besides the Merrie Monarch and the ipu heke workshop, we had been busy moving our retail location. We are still in Paia but now located 2 buildings up (113 Baldwin Ave.) inside the HazBeanz coffee shop. Mahalo to Jen and Jill for having us!

Now you can sip a cup of fresh roasted coffee and enjoy a delicious snack while you browse.

We are hoping to maybe even have some workshops here.

Ahhhh, Now that May has arrived, we have been able to relax a bit and do a little more of what we love to do......

Mom and oldest son Kukilakila.

Hope you all enjoyed your Mother's Day....I did.

Today's 'Olelo No'eau: E kolo ana no ke ewe i ke ewe./The rootlet will creep toward the rootlets.

Of the same origin, kinfolk will seek and love each other.

Ipu heke Workshop

I just returned from a trip to California. Mahalo to Aunty Sissy and Uncle Lincoln of Hula Halau 'o Lilinoe for hosting the workshop at their halau.

Mahalo to Marsha Aguon and Alyssa Santos of Hawaiiana Photography for organizing the class. And especially for going out into the gourd field to select these wonderful ipu.

The students first cleaned the outside of the gourds. Normally we like to do this part at the beach but tubs filled with water worked just fine.

The ipu were cut opened.

The insides were cleaned, the heke and 'olo fitted and glued together, then finished with kukui oil.

Special mahalo to Kumu Kekaimoku of Kekaiulu Hula Studio for teaching this hula noho, Ke ha'a la Puna. It's always a fun and interesting time hanging out with Moku.....

Lastly, Mahalo to the haumana of Kekaiulu Hula Studio and Hula Halau 'o Lilinoe for their hard work and warm aloha. There is nothing more rewarding than watching hula students create something that becomes precious to them. To see the finished product being used in a hula is delicious icing on the cake.

More photos can be found at Hawaiiana Photography in the "smugmug" link.

Hula le'a wale i kai o Nanahuki e/ Just dancing delightfully by the sea of Nanahuki

A line from Ke ha'a la Puna.

Merrie Monarch

Aloha! We will be making our annual trip to Hilo tomorrow to join the Merrie Monarch festivities. We will have a booth at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium (near the stage) from Wednesday to Saturday. So if you are in Hilo, come visit us!

This year, we have three halau representing Maui. Good luck e na kumu Kahulu Maluo-Huber and Napua Greig, Iola Balubar, and Kamaka Kukona!

Please keep in mind that we will be away from Maui (and the computer) this week. We will not be able to retrieve or send out any phone calls, emails or orders until we return on April 7. Mahalo for your patience.

Today's 'Olelo No'eau: Ka lani ka'apuni honua./The chief who went around the world.
Kalakaua, who traveled to many lands.

Uli uli Repair

Is the rattan on your 'uli'uli coming undone? This is a very common problem and usually happens when you have an extra strenuous hula workout. Your hands sweat, the rattan gets moist, relaxes and as you are shaking your 'uli'uli, the rattan starts to unravel. This is a simple fix.






First, unravel and take off the rattan without breaking it.
Place the rattan in a bowl of water and soak for at least 1/2 hour.

Now you are ready to re wrap.

The first wrap is the most important and must be tight!

This picture shows how to start.

Continue wrapping tightly and closely, making sure you do not see any fabric between rattan.

When you have wrapped all the way down to the la'amia, work the rattan under first raffia "stem" as shown. You will do the same to all four raffia "stems".

This shows how you will lock your wrap.

Cut off excess rattan.

Tuck the end and you are finished. No glue is used. When the rattan dries it will all tighten and be ready to use.






If you would rather have us re wrap your 'uli'uli for you, the cost is $5 plus shipping. To replace a cracked la'amia is $10. If you have a really good sounding 'uli'uli but the feathers are history, just cut off as much of the old feathers as possible and cover with a new set of 'uli'uli caps.



E lohe i ke kani o ka 'uli'uli, Mai ka la'amia me ali'ipoe, 'uli'uli u'i, 'uli'uli hula. 'Uli'uli, e kani!
Listen to the sound of the 'uli'uli, From the la'amia with ali'ipoe, beautiful 'uli'uli, hula 'uli'uli .
'Uli'uli, sing!
From: "Mele Hula No Na Mea Ho'okani!"
Composed by: Ho'oulu Cambra 12/1973

Fabulous February

Just a quick update.....the weather these past two weeks here on Maui has been simply wonderful!! Light winds and lots of glassy waves. We have been surfing every single morning....from adrenaline rushing pumping waves to playful little noseriding waves. Doesn't get much better than starting the day in the ocean with good friends, whales playing in the background, and turtles cruising by.

Today's 'Olelo No'eau: Ilaila i luakaha ai me Hiku/There, whiled the time with Hiku.
Had an enjoyable time.
(Hiku was a hero who lived in the mountains of Hawai'i and was thought of as a man who lived happily).

Pu'ili

Na Kani O Hula has been busy making lots of pu'ili. There are several steps to producing a pair of pu'ili. Here, Kent is sanding lengths of bamboo that he harvested a little over a week ago. In the background you can see racks hanging on the wall. These are used when painting/varneshing the slit bamboo....we still paint by hand.

The last step is to strip or thin out each pu'ili tooth so that the sound of the pu'ili comes out. For some strange reason, our cat Popoki just loves to sit under us when we are stripping to get covered in these bamboo strips. Odd little kitty......

Caring for your pu'ili:

One of the problems that happen with pu'ili, especially when they leave Hawai'i, is cracking at the handle. This is because they are drying out too fast. It will help to oil them or use any kind of furniture/wood treatments to help them from drying out. Another big reason they crack is because you forget your hula bag in the hot car and they bake!

Sometimes, if you do not use your pu'ili for a long period of time, bugs may decide to make home in them. If you see a fine yellowish powder on/below/near your pu'ili, you should put them in the freezer right away and leave them for at least a week.

Lastly, when transporting your pu'ili from home to hula (from the car to the house, from the garage to the bedroom, ect.) the tips can get caught on just about anything. You can use alot of things to protect the tips. Empty paper towel/toilet paper rolls, rubber bands or a nice pu'ili bag. It's the best way to keep your pu'ili safe from all sorts of danger (a customer's dog once ate her pu'ili!).

We will be a vendor at the Honolulu Festival this March 15 and 16 at the Hawaii Convention Center. Come visit us if you happen to be on Oahu. And as usual, the Merrie Monarch in April.

E lohe i ke kani o ka pu'ili, Mai ka ulu 'ohe, 'Ohe Hawai'i

Pu'ili wiwi, pu'ili loloa. Pu'ili, e kani!

Listen to the sound of the pu'ili, From the bamboo grove, Hawaiian bamboo

Slender, long pu'ili. Pu'ili, sing!

From: "Mele Hula No Na Mea Ho'okani!"

Composed by: Ho'oulu Cambra 12/1973

Poli'ahu visits Maui

Photo by Caitlin Nacimento

Well, the big news on Maui today is the snow that has fallen on Haleakala! I just got back from a journey to the post office and Foodland (had to purchase ingredients to make chowder tonight!) and the temperature outside is 62 degrees. This is quite cold for lunch time in Hawaii. I have on shorts, sweatpants, longshirt, lumber jacket and socks......just guzzled down a hot caramel machiatta and still cold!

Here is a picture of my niece and nephew playing in the snow......
But this snow is in Eugene, Oregon. My brother says this too is an unusual event for their place.

Looking at this picture makes me even colder!

OK, here is a much warmer picture that was taken just the other day from the back yard.
In Hawai'i, the rainbow was looked upon as one of the signs of royalty.

'Anuenue is just one word to describe a rainbow. Like the wind, rain, surf and other events of nature, Hawaiians had different names and poetic references to describe the subtle differences and characteristics of these events.

Today's 'Olelo No'eau: Poli'ahu, ka wahine kapa hau anu o Mauna Kea/Poli'ahu, the woman who wears the snow mantle of Mauna Kea.

Poli'ahu is the goddess of snows; her home is on Mauna Kea.