Off Broadway productions, exhibits of Antiquities, art galleries and opera might not be the kind of cultural experience that Hawai'i holidaymakers expect. However, the Hawai’i Arts Season - running from 23 February until 14 May 2006 – means visitors to the islands can expect to have any preconceptions of the islands purely offering great beaches and outdoor adventure truly challenged this spring.
The start of the Hawai’i Arts Season signalled the beginning of four months of world-class entertainment across Hawai’i’s six main islands, with many of the events and activities free to enjoy. What’s more, this year’s theme -“Celebrating the Pacific” - is set to leave tourists in no doubt of the cultural richness of Hawai’i, the only US state to have been a former monarchy and to have its own language, music and dance.
From the moment you arrive in Hawai’i the Polynesian magic takes over, with the festival capitalizing on the islands’ natural as well as cultural assets to ensure a totally unique arts experience.
Highlights of this year’s event are set to include:
ART, MUSIC & LITERATURE
• The chance to be part of the world’s only party inside a volcano as Oahu’s mini-Woodstock festivals are recreated for the first time in 30 years. Stars such as Linda Ronstadt and the Steve Miller Band are set to erupt at the “Diamond Head International Music Festival” on 1 April.
• Hot on the heels of his sell-out UK tour, native UK chart-topper Jack Johnson shares the stage with friends, including Willie Nelson and Ben Harper, to promote environmental awareness in Hawaii at the annual Kokua Festival benefit event (Maui 19 April, O’ahu – 22 April).
• Book signings by New York Times best-selling authors and over 100 prominent writers at the Hawai’i Book and Music Festival. (22-23 April)
• Traditional Hawaiian slack key guitar weekly concerts on both Kaua’i at the Hanalei Family Community Center and on Maui at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, during which musical tributes are offered to everything from sea turtles and Hawaiian Monarchs to historic events and paniolos, the traditional Hawaiian cowboy.
• Evening art-ertainment, as galleries and shops in downtown Honolulu, O’ahu as well as galleries in Maui’s Lahaina town regularly open their doors on Friday nights. On O’ahu this will take place through their First Friday (the first Friday of every month) festival plus the ARTafterDARK programme on the last Friday of every month. Entering into the spirit, every downtown eatery will sandwich food with art throughout the season.
NATURE
• A celebration of the annual migration of Pacific humpback whales with marine-themed movies and ocean art at the Ocean Arts Festival in Lahaina, Maui (8-12 March)
• An insight into the creation of the islands as Oahu’s new Bishop Museum Science Adventure Centrer unveils its erupting volcano and offers inquisitive minds the chance to pump hot lava through a plume or even crawl through a lava cave.
TRADITION
• The annual Merrie Monarch Festival takes place in Hilo town on Hawaii’s Big Island from 16-22 April with the aim of perpetuating, preserving and promoting the art of hula and the Hawaiian culture through education. Considered the world’s premier forum for people of all ages to display their skills and knowledge of both the ancient and modern art forms, this weeklong festival begins on Easter Sunday and includes group plus individual competitions, as well as a grand parade through Hilo town on the final morning (Saturday).
• In the early 1800s - 50 years before Western cowboy culture started – cowboys were brought to Hawaii’s Big Island from Spanish California to teach Hawaiians the art of handling horses and cattle. The word paniolo – adapted from the word “español” (meaning Spanish) was the name given to describe Hawaiian cowboys and is now very much a part of the Hawaiian culture. On 29 April visitors are invited to join Na Paniolo Nui O Kaua’i - a tribute and celebration of their rich history at the Kaua’i Marriott Resort from 5pm, including an authentic Lu’au (Hawaiian Feast).
• For the people of the Pacific, the canoe is a symbolic journey tracing their origins and profound relationship with the ocean and a potent symbol of life and new horizons. During the International Festival of Canoes traditional and modern tools are used to transform solid logs into canoes of great beauty in accordance with the cultural traditions across the Pacific. Head to the whaling town of Lahaina, Maui, from 13-27 May to witness this extraordinary display of talent and culture.
• The annual World Fireknife Dance Championship – now in its 13th year - attracts skilled entrants of all ages from all over the Pacific to the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu’s North Shore to compete for the prestigious prize. All boast one common trait – an uncommon bravery that allows them to defy the danger of the fiery knives and thrill the audience with their skill, speed and showmanship. Spectators, meanwhile, are also encouraged to try the art form for themselves – under careful supervision! (18-20 May)
• An extraordinary previously unseen exhibition of life in the Pacific in the 1700s at the Honolulu Academy of Arts collected by Captain James Cook during his voyages as he “discovered” the Hawaiian Islands.
• A celebration of islands’ flowers as May Day turns into Lei Day, with everyone from bankers to bartenders being sure to wear one.
• The opportunity to enjoy free ukulele, lei-making, hula and even rock art print classes!
For your chance to join in the celebrations and find out more about the Hawai’i Arts Season. which is sponsored by the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, visit www.gohawaii.com/arts
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