Memphis gets paradise, Hawaiian style
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui Bureau
WAILUKU HEIGHTS, Maui — Much has been made of Elvis Presley's connections to Hawai'i, especially after the summer release of Disney's "Lilo & Stitch,'' with its Presley soundtrack and Hawaiian backdrop.
Timothy Hurley • The Honolulu Advertiser
Now, a Maui hula troupe is preparing to make a connection the other way — from Hawai'i to Presley's hometown of Memphis.
Marseu Simpson, right, and members of I Kona Mau Lima practice for their performances at Elvis Week in Memphis.
Members of the Kahului-based hula troupe I Kona Mau Lima have been invited to perform during Elvis Week Aug. 10-18, the first time hula will be part of the annual tribute to the king of rock 'n' roll.
This year is the 25-year anniversary of the death of Presley, who did his share for Hawai'i's tourism through his films, "Blue Hawai'i" and "Paradise Hawaiian Style." Tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on Memphis for the weeklong variety of Elvis-themed concerts, parades and shows.
Group leader Ualani Smith says the troupe's performances will remind audiences of the entertainer's love for the Islands.
But in addition to performing such Elvis classics as "Blue Hawai'i" and the "Hawaiian Wedding Song," the troupe plans to go beyond the Hollywood image of cellophane skirts and sexy hula girls to present some authentic Hawaiian culture.
"We want to move audiences into saying, 'This is not the hula we've seen before,' " she said.
The invitation is quite an honor for a troupe that has been in existence for only two years and composed of members who have largely been dancing for less than five years.
It helps to have connections. One of the members' sisters works for Sun Studios, the Memphis recording studio where Elvis first recorded his songs. She saw the group perform at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center this year and was impressed enough to talk Elvis Presley Enterprises into issuing an invitation.
When the invitation arrived, Smith wasn't sure about accepting.
"My first thought was, 'I don't think so.' This is really big and we're so small. It was overwhelming," she said.
Timothy Hurley • The Honolulu Advertiser
But after much thought and prayer, she changed her mind. "It was an opportunity of a lifetime. When is somebody ever going to invite a nobody like us?"
Members of I Kona Mau Lima have been practicing three days a week for next month's trip to Memphis and a role in Elvis Week.
The troupe has been busy practicing three times a week. When they aren't practicing, they're out fund-raising, primarily though garage sales and candy sales. The group is still about $7,000 short of the $12,000 cost of the trip.
Smith, a former student of the late Darrell Lupenui and Pali Ahue who now studies under Keali'i Reichel, is impressed by what she seen from her members.
"They've been able to carry themselves nicely, dancing with confidence and lighting up with a smile," she said.
Smith said the group will not do Hawai'i wrong. The dancers, she said, are honored to help celebrate the life of a man who means so much to so many in Hawai'i.
Among other things, Presley donated proceeds from his 1962 Hawai'i concert to the construction of the Arizona Memorial. Eleven years later, he performed his first satellite concert, "Aloha From Hawai'i," an event witnessed by 1.5 billion worldwide.
Presley admired and recorded songs written by beloved Hawaiian musician Kui Lee, who died of cancer in 1966. Elvis contributed $75,000 in "Aloha From Hawai'i'' concert proceeds to the Kui Lee Cancer Fund.
"In Graceland, a whole wall is dedicated to Hawai'i, but Hawai'i has never been part of Elvis Week,'' Smith said.
That changes next month. The group will be performing at the famous Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis, at Sun Studio and at one of Elvis' first homes on Memphis' Audubon Drive.
In addition to bringing a variety of costume changes, the troupe plans to bring coolers of greenery and flowers to allow the dancers to wear real lei and fresh ti-leaf skirts. After performing, they'll distribute plumeria lei to the audience.
If you want to donate, call (808) 250-5526 or write to mauitomemphis@hotmail.com.
