Hawaiian Scene
''Aha Mele IV' planned as a tribute to O'ahu

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

Halau o ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani, Manu Boyd's hula group, rehearses for Saturday's "'Aha Mele," the annual halau fund-raiser at the Hawai'i Theatre. Boyd's halau will sing as well as dance during the concert, where the group Ho'okena will celebrate its 15th anniversary. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser '''Aha Mele IV' Halau o ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani 7 p.m. Saturday Hawai'i Theatre Featuring Ho'okena, Halau Na Kamalei, Kahikina, Kala'i Ontai, Kainani Kahaunaele, Kihei Nahale-a and Sean Naleimaile $20, $25 528-0506

And it will be visible from a seat at the Hawai'i Theatre tomorrow, when Boyd's students, Halau o ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani, present the latest rendition of "'Aha Mele," the annual halau fund-raiser. The event marks another occasion, the 15th anniversary of Ho'okena, which will release its next CD, an anthology called "Treasure," Oct. 20.

Clearly, singing as well as dancing will be the twin hallmarks of this hula concert.

"Our halau sings, because that's how we were taught by Robert," said Boyd, referring to his own kumu hula, entertainer Robert Cazimero. As a graduate of Cazimero's Halau Na Kamalei, Boyd has adopted his teacher's expectations that dancers hone their vocal skills as well as master the movements of hula. So his students will be singing, as well as dancing, a song by the late Kau'i Zuttermeister, "Na Pua Ka 'Ilima."

That song, as well as the theme of the whole concert, is a tribute to the island of O'ahu, which Boyd said often is overlooked as a source of inspiration.

"We don't celebrate our own island enough," Boyd said. "We're always so concerned with its urbanization. However, there's so much beauty that remains."

When he's not teaching hula or working as a staffer at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Boyd also serves as president and choir director of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu. Singing is such a large part of his life that Boyd had trouble separating it from almost anything he does. He feels a little challenged by teaching an all-women's halau to chant, because adapting to a higher vocal register is tough on the instructor. So he hopes someday to enlist some male chant students as well.

Boyd is best known for his composition and choreography of hula kahiko, so this style of ancient chanting and dancing will be the centerpiece on stage tomorrow. However, after drawing some inspiration from last summer's World Conference on Hula in Hilo, the teacher decided to experiment a bit with collaborative choreography.

He took the chant "'Alekoki," which explores the ill-fated romance between Kamamalu and Lunalilo, and assigned students to each verse. The assignment: to map out the movements in the way they imagined Boyd might have done.

A little revision was necessary, he said: They didn't quite have his style nailed down. But perhaps that's forgivable.

"We haven't been together long enough for them to know my style," Boyd said with a smile.