For the first time, Halau Hula Kauluokala of Kahului under the direction of kumu hula Uluwehi Guerrero will grace the stage at this year’s 60th Merrie Monarch Festival.

“I’ve always gone to help other people. I’ve been there to help sing or chant, or something. This is my first time that I’m entering as kumu … with the halau,” Guerrero said last week in the midst of packing for hula’s most prestigious festival, whose group competition gets underway tonight at 6 p.m. at the Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium in Hilo.

Guerrero, an award-winning Hawaiian recording artist and kumu hula for 43 years, joked that “even though out of the four (Maui) kumus, I’m the oldest,” he’ll be the one with the “youngest” or most green halau, as this is their very first time.

His current halau has been around for 23 years. He also taught with award-winning recording artist and kumu hula Keali’i Reichel when they had a halau together from 1980 to 2000.

Guerrero said that for years, Aunty Luana Kawelu, president of the festival, had asked him when he would be coming, but he politely declined as he had other things going on. He then aimed to go prior to the pandemic, but when COVID-19 came to the islands, the festival was canceled in 2020.

“It went from possibly going to nothing,” Guerrero said.

In 2021 the festival was a virtual event with no live audience. Last year there was a limited audience of family members, volunteers and longtime festival sponsors. The general public was not allowed.

Guerrero said he felt that it was not his time yet to go.

“Maybe it was meant to be,” he said.

He was surprised when he got the call for this year’s festival. He said Kawelu told him that the festival would be celebrating 60 years, and “I would like you to come to Merrie Monarch.”

“You still like come, yeah?” he remembers Kawelu asking him.

“I said, ‘um yeah, aunty, yeah.’ ”

Guerrero recalled hanging up and asking, “What did I get myself into? What just happened here?”

But Guerrero said what happened next put him and his halau “in such a good place.”

“When I announced it to the girls, of course they were all excited, ecstatic, just really, really happy,” he recalled. “When I announced it to the rest of the halau, and let it be known that we would be taking this journey, oh my gosh, everybody stepped forward. I mean everyone, not only the students but their ohana, people in the community, people from afar, near and far.”

The Merrie Monarch, whose festivities have been underway since Sunday, has opened up with no COVID restrictions this year, which means a packed house for the 23 halau competing tonight.

Besides Guerrero’s halau, Maui will see its veteran halau return, including Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka of Kula led by kumu hula Napua Greig. The halau took some years off, with Greig saying in 2018 that it would be the halau’s last Merrie Monarch competition for the time being as she and the halau were looking to do other things.

Also back at the festival is kumu hula Carlson Kamaka Kukona III with Halau o ka Hanu Lehua of Wailuku and Waikapu along with Halau Kekuaokala’au’ala’iliahi of Wailuku led by na kumu Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes.

“Haunani and I smile when we see our haumana bring it all together,” ‘Iliahi Paredes said last week. “In so many ways, each of the dancers are our keiki. We love them like our own; some are our own. To witness the moments of clarity, humility, sacrifice, realization, dedication, cultural connection, and pride is a blessing from Ke Akua that we cherish.

“We appreciate awards, and we are thankful for the ones that the judges have bestowed on our halau over the years, but our greatest appreciation goes to Ke Akua and the guidance that he provides us through it all,” he added. “That is our yearly victory.”

The halau is taking 22 wahine and eight kane dancers to Merrie Monarch as well as its musicians. The halau has been competing in the event for the past 11 years.

Considered the “Olympics of hula,” the Merrie Monarch is different each year, Paredes said, but each year the prestigious event takes blood, sweat and tears to prepare for, as well as love, humility and patience.

“Preparations — from vision to execution — are non-stop and begin at least a year in advance,” he said. “Haumana dedicate themselves and commit to the process, and we are so thankful for them. Our village — families, friends, supporters — make tremendous sacrifices for us, and fundraising to travel to Hilo is a grueling part of the process.”

Still, through the preparation and collaboration, the students “learn valuable life skills that make them better humans, and that is the reason we continue to participate,” he added.

The group wahine kahiko will include a hula ‘anoho ‘uli’uli to the chant “Ku’iku’i Ka Lono,” which was composed by Princess Virginia Kapo’oloku Po’omaikelani for King David La’amea Kalakaua, the Merrie Monarch for whom the festival is named.

And, the group wahine ‘auana will present a graceful hula to the mele, “Ka Loke o Maui,” which describes Maui’s notable places as seen from the deck of the steamship Lehua.

For the group kane kahiko, they will present a hula ‘anoho ‘uli’uli to the chant “Alo I Ke Anu,” which is from the mele collection of Mary Kawena Pukui and honors King David La’amea Kalakaua. The group kane ‘auana will be a fun rendition of Aunty Emma Farden Sharpe’s “Nani ‘Ulupalakua,” which captures the beauty of the land and the expertise of the paniolo.

Kukona said this will be his halau’s 10th appearance at the festival. This year also marks 20 years as kumu hula of Halau o ka Hanu Lehua.

He said that in honor of the festival’s 60th anniversary, they will be doing all chants and mele that honors Hawai’i island.

“My dancers are all of a new generation, the youngest being 13 years old. They started as babies in our liko class and are now the current representatives of our traditions and legacy,” Kukona said last week.

Kukona added that he was “thrilled and excited at this year’s preparations” for the festival. The halau was still collaborating with the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and held Merrie Monarch rehearsals on their property on Thursday evenings.

Greig could not be reached for comment last week or this week, but said on her Facebook page this week that she has the privilege to take her students back to the competition this year after taking a break.

“Ahhhh Merrie Monarch. HILO. There’s nothing like it,” she posted.

Guerrero, who is bringing 12 wahine dancers, said his halau’s dances reflect the island of Maui.

For the hula kahiko the women will dance to “E Ho’i Ka Nani I Moku’ula,” or let the beauty return of Moku’ula.

Moku’ula is a buried island in Lahaina town that was once a 1-acre sandbar island with a freshwater pond that served as the home of the high chiefs of Pi’ilani in the 16th century, according to the former nonprofit Friends of Moku’ula. The group said King Kamehameha III ruled there from the 1830s to 1845.

For the hula ‘auana, the halau will dance to “Lei Lokelani” by Charles E. King. It is also a song Guerrero has recorded.

Lokelani, or the pink rose, is Maui’s island flower, and the mele extolls the beauty of both the halau’s home island and the blossoms.

Guerrero’s halau learned the meanings behind their performance songs and went to visit the areas the songs noted, something other halau also do.

Guerrero said that around three months ago, he and his dancers went to the Waine’e Ahupua’a (generally, a subdivision of land from the mountains to ocean) in West Maui which includes Moku’ula and Kaua’ula Valley.

They learned about the area and met up with a descendant and resident of the area, Ke’eaumoku Kapu.

The halau also did some work there, as wildfires have scorched the valley’s greenery and they wanted to help, Guerrero said.

“Because there was this devastation of the fire, we figured we are going to help them with the land and replant. We’re going to bring back the beauty to the area,” Guerrero said.

He reflected upon the halau’s kahiko, saying, “We want to speak of the sacred places of where we come from and why it is so important. If we do this, our voices will be heard. It just takes a little spark, (to) move the ‘ike forward,” Guerrero said.

“That was the whole intent, it’s not thinking about going to a competition and winning, of course we want to do well, but really the journey that got us there.”

The group competition begins with the kahiko, or ancient style of hula, tonight. On Saturday the ‘auana, or modern hula, will be featured. An awards presentation will follow on Saturday.

The competition begins at 6 p.m. both days and can be viewed on KFVE.

For more information, see merriemonarch.com.

* Staff Writer Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com. Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.