Genre
hula
Top Hula Artists
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About Hula
Hula is more than a dance; it is a living, music-driven art form from Hawaii that weaves storytelling, chant, melody, and gesture into a single performance. Though often presented to casual observers in luau settings, hula is deeply rooted in ancient Polynesian culture, serving as a vessel for history, genealogy, and myth. The term encompasses two broad streams: kahiko (ancient chant-dance) and ‘auana (modern, more choreographed dance with contemporary music). Each stream uses movement to illuminate a mele (song) or oli (chant), translating words of ancestors into body language, rhythm, and emotion.
Historically, hula emerged in pre-contact Hawaii as a sacred practice conducted at temples, heiau, and royal courts. Kahiko performances feature raw percussion and ancient Hawaiian language, often accompanied by the ipu (gourd drum) and pahu (drum made from a hollowed log with a sharkskin head). The dancers tell stories of gods, chiefs, and creation, with hand shapes, hip shifts, and facial expressions acting as the vocabulary. With Western contact in the 18th and 19th centuries, hula adapted: ‘auana arose, integrating ukulele, guitar, and more melodic percussion, while still preserving the ceremonial intent and narrative core. The result is a living tradition that can be intimate and ceremonial or exuberant and popular.
The modern Hawaiian revival, crystallized in part by royal patronage and cultural resurgence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, helped preserve and transform hula for new audiences. King Kalākaua is often remembered for supporting and legitimizing hula as a national treasure, while Queen Liliʻuokalani authored mele that remain touchstones for hula dancers and composers. In contemporary times, the annual Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo has become the premier stage for hula competition and celebration, drawing kumu hula (teachers) and halau (schools) from Hawaii and beyond. The festival acts as a barometer of technique, tradition, and innovation in hula today.
Today’s hula is a global art form. In Hawaii, it remains a cornerstone of cultural identity, taught in halau by respected kumu hula who pass down lineage, chants, and choreographies. Abroad, the genre thrives in diaspora communities and cultural centers, notably on the U.S. mainland, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Europe, where audiences seek the artistry and storytelling of hula. The music associated with hula—traditional chants and contemporary mele—continues to evolve, incorporating slack-key guitar, ukulele, and even electronic textures in certain performances, all while keeping the call-and-response, rhythm, and narrative drive at its core.
Key artists and ambassadors help keep hula vibrant. In the realm of modern Hawaiian music, Keali‘i Reichel and Amy Hanaiali‘i Guttman are prominent ambassadors who bring hula’s stories to broad audiences with authentic voice and stagecraft. Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole (IZ) remains a beloved cultural ambassador whose lei-draped, gentle renditions have introduced many to Hawaiian melodies. In traditional and vocal-hula circles, groups like the Brothers Cazimero and respected kumu hula continue to shape the repertoire, ensuring hula remains a dynamic, storytelling art that travels beyond its Pacific roots.
Historically, hula emerged in pre-contact Hawaii as a sacred practice conducted at temples, heiau, and royal courts. Kahiko performances feature raw percussion and ancient Hawaiian language, often accompanied by the ipu (gourd drum) and pahu (drum made from a hollowed log with a sharkskin head). The dancers tell stories of gods, chiefs, and creation, with hand shapes, hip shifts, and facial expressions acting as the vocabulary. With Western contact in the 18th and 19th centuries, hula adapted: ‘auana arose, integrating ukulele, guitar, and more melodic percussion, while still preserving the ceremonial intent and narrative core. The result is a living tradition that can be intimate and ceremonial or exuberant and popular.
The modern Hawaiian revival, crystallized in part by royal patronage and cultural resurgence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, helped preserve and transform hula for new audiences. King Kalākaua is often remembered for supporting and legitimizing hula as a national treasure, while Queen Liliʻuokalani authored mele that remain touchstones for hula dancers and composers. In contemporary times, the annual Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo has become the premier stage for hula competition and celebration, drawing kumu hula (teachers) and halau (schools) from Hawaii and beyond. The festival acts as a barometer of technique, tradition, and innovation in hula today.
Today’s hula is a global art form. In Hawaii, it remains a cornerstone of cultural identity, taught in halau by respected kumu hula who pass down lineage, chants, and choreographies. Abroad, the genre thrives in diaspora communities and cultural centers, notably on the U.S. mainland, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Europe, where audiences seek the artistry and storytelling of hula. The music associated with hula—traditional chants and contemporary mele—continues to evolve, incorporating slack-key guitar, ukulele, and even electronic textures in certain performances, all while keeping the call-and-response, rhythm, and narrative drive at its core.
Key artists and ambassadors help keep hula vibrant. In the realm of modern Hawaiian music, Keali‘i Reichel and Amy Hanaiali‘i Guttman are prominent ambassadors who bring hula’s stories to broad audiences with authentic voice and stagecraft. Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole (IZ) remains a beloved cultural ambassador whose lei-draped, gentle renditions have introduced many to Hawaiian melodies. In traditional and vocal-hula circles, groups like the Brothers Cazimero and respected kumu hula continue to shape the repertoire, ensuring hula remains a dynamic, storytelling art that travels beyond its Pacific roots.