32nd annual Celebration of the Arts begins next Friday featuring Navigator Kala Baybayan Tanaka of the Hōkūle‘a and Mo‘okiha O Pi‘ilani

Navigator Kala Baybayan Tanaka, who sailed on the Hōkūle'a and the Mo'okiha O Pi'ilani, will present "The Voyage Continues" talk, as part of the cultural events scheduled at the 32nd annual Celebration of the Arts taking place at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, on March 29 and 30.

The Maui-born navigator will talk about her lineage and passion to navigate celestially in combination with the elements of nature at 2 p.m. on March 29. A voyager and an educator at Hui o Wa'a 'Kaulua, Maui's Voyaging Society, Tanaka is the daughter of the late famed navigator Chad Kālepa Baybayan.

With the theme "E Kāmau ke Kuleana ... The Privilege and Responsibility Perseveres" the celebration features 125 of the state's renowned cultural practitioners, artisans, educators, fashion designers, filmmakers and entertainers. "By sharing our culture and knowledge, a sincere appreciation comes for all things past and prepares us for things to come," said the resort's cultural advisor, Clifford Nae'ole.

Other events on March 29 include Kahu Lyons Naone leading a "Walking With Wellness" tour at 12.45 p.m. Ty Sanga's award-winning film "Hōkūle'a: Finding the Language of the Navigator" will screen at 3:45 in the Hotel Theater. Winner of the Made in Hawai'i Jury Award for Best Feature at the 2023 Hawaii International Film Festival, it explores how Hawaiians reacquired the skills to navigate the ocean on long voyages.

The documentary centers around a conversation, first started in 2006, between renowned navigator Nainoa Thompson and cultural anthropologist Wade Davis.

Fifteen years later, the two explorers contemplate the mysteries of traditional navigation and a future inspired by the language of the navigator. Following the film, Sanga will lead a brief Q&A with veteran Hōkūle'a crew member Snake Ah Hee and navigator Tanaka. Sanga's film "Hae Hawai'i," about the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the 2018 Hawaii International Film Festival.

The Celebration Music Showcase in Aloha Garden Pavilion begins at 5:45 with Grammy nominee and multi- Nā Hōkū Award-winning musician Weldon Kekauoha who just released his new album "'Ano'ai." The Kamehemeha Schools Ensemble and Hālau O Ka Hanu Lehua, led by Kumu Hula Kamaka Kukona will accompany Kekauoha. Reservations are required and cost is $20 for general admission ages 13 plus, $10 for children, ages four to 12, and children ages three and under are admitted free.

The Celebration on March 29 will close with Lahaina Grown performing from 9 to 11 p.m. The band is acclaimed for their "Lahaina Grown" song which highlights cultural pride and the importance of ohana. They were recently featured in the short video "Lahaina Grown – Surviving the Maui Wildfire" by Kenneth Martinez Burgmaier. There is no cover charge. It is a 21 and over event.

Among events on March 30, children of the Napili Kai Foundation will perform traditional hula, Tahitian and a variety of dances from other Polynesian islands between 1 and 2 p.m. in the hotel's lobby. They will be led by Kumu Hula Kathy Ralar.

The documentary "E Mele Mai – Clifford Nae'ole" will screen at 3:45 in the Hotel Theater. Nae'ole will share the story of his life and the kuleana of the name he carries, a name that informs the work he does as the caretaker of Honokahua (the resting place of thousands of Hawaiian ancestral remains) and as the cultural advisor for The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. It will be introduced by Aaron Salā, and producer, Dawn Kaniaupio.

The Celebration of the Arts Lūʻau will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 in the Aloha Garden Pavilion with Hawaiian food and portrayals of Hawaiian history with vignettes by the cast of Tales of the Kapa Moe, led by Kumu Pono Murray. Advance ticket purchase is required. Cost is $169 for general admission, $129 for kama'āina with valid Hawaii ID, $59 for children ages 6-12), and children five and under are admitted free.

In the Alaloa Lounge, Lahaina's Wilmont Kahaiali'i will play from 6 to 9, followed by Maui's island reggae band 3 Pounds of Kalo, who will close the 32nd annual Celebration of the Arts, performing from 9 to 11. Both are free admission.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit: www.celebrationofthearts.org.