Ho'ala (To Awaken) Raise Hawaiki

A wonderful experience!!! This evening we went to the premiere performance of a symphony performed by the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra and choir, written by a Hawaiian composer to honour the return of the Hokule'a traditional Tahitian sailing vessel from its worldwide voyage. The first voyage took place in the 1970s, but was unsuccessful. The Hokule'a departed again in 2014 or thereabouts and travelled around the world. This time the voyage was called Malama Honua, which means "to care for our Earth". As they wrote, "Living on an island chain teaches us that our natural world is a gift with limits and that we must carefully steward this gift if we are to survive together". 
The performance was beautiful and so moving. The music, the choral singing, sometimes in Hawaiian and sometimes in English, the Hawaiian chants, the hula dance at the end, the images projected on the wall - it was amazingly beautiful and gave such a strong sense of the unity, strength, beauty, and Aloha spirit of the Hawaiian people.

The photograph is of Namaka, the Hawaiian sea goddess. My friend Cheryl, who directs a dance company, produces these amazing, over the top costumes, together with our friend Dee. The ballerina danced with gorgeously delicate, gentle, almost meditative, and definitely elegant movements.

A wonderful evening!