Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 5, 1 May 1997 — Life of Kahekili, celebrated high chief, played out by Maui hālau [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Life of Kahekili, celebrated high chief, played out by Maui hālau

by Kelli Meskin Members of Maui's hula community pooled their knowledge to re-enact the life of Kahekili, a high-ranking kapu chief for an original hula production for the Fifth Annual Celebration of the Arts Festival. The premiere production was a part of this ^eai^ theme "Nā Ali'i o Maui," at the

Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in March. Eaeh kumu hula choreographed a specific part of the performance. Eaeh selected different highlights of Kahekili's life. Then the parts were put together to create the production. "I see myself as one who links this kind of performance together," said Hōkūlani Holt-Padil-la, director of "Kahekili." "The kumu hula see, feel, hear, envision what they will and I don't get involved in how they interpret (the story and

events). Mueh of the information on Kahekili was found through stories, chants, and accounts bv earlv explorers

ers such as Fornander and Kamakau. "So httle was written about him in his early years that we needed to focus primarily on him since he became ruling chief," said Holt-Padilla. Kahekili's intimidating solid black

tattoo covering half of his body was a powerful visual for the audience. "It was his whim to have one side of his body tattooed from head to foot," wrote Kamakau in "Ruling Chiefs of Hawai'i." Kahelili was probably not fully tatooed in one sitting, Holt-Padilla said. For example Samoan tattooing from the knee to the waist takes several weeks to finish. In the opening part of the performanee, Kahekili, played by Mike Whitehead of Hālau Hula Nā Wāhine o Ka'ōnohiokalā, is tattooed from

below his knee to above his waist. In the end the entire right half of his body - is covered. "That was artistic license to show that as his mana grows perhaps the tatoos begin to elongate on his body," she said. The Ielekawa scene, where Kahekili challenges a Moloka'i man to jump from a high cliff, was choreographed by Akoni Akana. Akana said although it was difficult to interpret in hula, it , _ .. ... was the mna fnn

I scene to 1 arrange. In the ■ lelekawa I scene I female I dancers I wore only kaunaoa and pōhuehue leis to I cover their upper bodies. "When i the 1 Iawaiians went swimming I they didn't • . have anv

Hokulani Holt-Padilla, kumu hula had it ' and director of "Kahekili." way they wouldn't have anv bottoms either," and writ- . . . . J

Akana said. The pa'ū (skirts) were colored with alae (red dirt) and red ocher, then left in the oeean to sohdify. The costumes were made using

traditional methods of dye and plants. The actors even drank 'awa, an intoxicating ceremonial drink, when performing the 'awa ceremony. The production followed the Hawaiian style of storytelling, Holt-Padilla said, by incorporating chant, narration, performing and hula. The performance used modern visuals — two giant television screens on eaeh side of the stage — to help the audience see and understand eaeh scene better. The "Kahekili" production was put together by the same five kumu hula who presented "Maui the Demigod" at the opening of the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in 1995 and at Ritz-Carlton's Celebration of the Arts last year. They are Keah'i Reichel, Akoni Akana of Hula Hālau Nā Wāhine Ka'ōnohiokalā, Charles Ka'upu of Hālau Maui Nui o Kauhi a Kama, Cliff Ahue of Pali Ahue Hula Hālau, and Hōkūlani Holt-Padilla of Pa'ū o Hi'iaka. The group hopes to do the production again to tighten and perfect scenes. But as far as eultural appropriateness, Holt-Padil-la said the production was perfect. "We know our kūpuna were here in the forms that we know they eome, such as the wind, the oeean, the flowers and the inspirations that we have gotten," HoltPadilla said. "Kahekili" will be performed in August at Iao Theater in Maui.

Ka Wai Ola o OHA (May) 97