Etua lopes biography
By Brooks Baehr - bio | email
HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) - Friday night in Hilo, it's a celebration of life for a man considered by some as the last of the hula masters.
George Naope died of cancer on October 26, but lives on in the hearts and hula of his friends and students.
He was a performer, a teacher, and a practioner and keeper of Hawaiian culture.
George Naope was many things.
And in 81 years of life he touched many people.
That's why the turn-out Friday night was so impressive.
Friends, family, top entertainers and countless students came to honor the man everyone called "Uncle George."
"He's been a wonderful person to so many people in hula, and to me especially,
said Rick San Nicolas of Modesto, California. "He took me under his wing. I just enjoyed all of his sharing of aloha in hula and all of about Hawaii. He's just a man that people need to pay tribute to.
"He always said, 'I don't want you to dance like me, but I want you to dance like you, but keep the traditions as I teach you,'" said kumu hula and a former Naope student, Etua Lopes.
"I knew Uncle George when he used to sing," said Waipa of Kona Puna Bikers. "He was famous. He wrote some of the most beautiful music, you know what I mean. And he was the greatest guy to go out with and have a drink with. Uncle George was something.
Naope was a co-founder of the Merrie Monarch Festival. He loved to travel, and while on the road helped organize hula competitions and dance schools.
His trademark was his colorful style. He was always decked out in bright shirts, hats and wearing lei.
Big Island mayor Billy Kenoi spoke at Friday night's event. he read a proclamation declaring Saturday Uncle George Naope Day.
Also on Saturday from 9 o'clock a.m. until 5 in the afternoon, people will gather at the Civic Auditorium to celebrate Naope's life and accomplishments.
Merrie Monarch Festival
Annual festival in Hilo, Hawaii since 1964
19°43′08″N155°04′05″W / 19.719°N 155.068°W / 19.719; -155.068
| Merrie Monarch Festival | |
|---|---|
| Dates |
|
| Location(s) | Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium at Hoʻolulu Park, Hilo, Hawaii |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Founders | Helen Hale, Gene Wilhelm, George Naʻope |
| Website | www.merriemonarch.com |
The Merrie Monarch Festival is a week-long cultural festival that takes place annually in Hilo, Hawaii during the week after Easter. It honors King David Kalākaua, who was called the "Merrie Monarch" for his patronage of the arts and is credited with restoring many Hawaiian cultural traditions during his reign, including hula. Many hālau hula (schools), including some from the U.S. mainland and some international performers, attend the festival each year to participate in exhibitions and competitions. The festival has received worldwide attention and is considered the most prestigious of all hula contests.
Merrie Monarch week begins Easter Sunday every year. The competitive hula events end the week, and occur on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; They are televised and live-streamed for free online by Hawaii News Now (formerly KHII-TV, KFVE/K5).
The 2020 Merrie Monarch festival was cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic concerns. The 2021 competition was held June 24–26, without a live audience, and was broadcast July 1–3 on KFVE.
The 2023 Merrie Monarch hula competition began on April 13, 2023 at 6:00pm HST, and was livestreamed free all three nights on the website of Hawaii News Now.
History
The festival is dedicated to the memory of King David Kalākaua, the last king of the Kingdom of Hawaii, who reigned fro
By Malika Dudley - bio | email We teach the Huna of Kuauhaoali’i, Daddy Bray, Pappa Bray, Taneo Sands Kumalae, Uncle George Naope, and John Kaimikaua. In our workshops, you will meet many native Hawaiians, each of whom will impart their specialized knowledge and wisdom of their lineage. Our trainers’ schedules vary and there will be a variety of different presenters. We have permission to carry on the lineage and teach in Hawaii. Dr. Matt is one of the most highly-sought after trainers and educators in the world today. He is the president of Empowerment, Inc., the world’s leading integrative personal development company for over 34 years. A dedicated Master Trainer of NLP and respected expert on Ho’oponopono (Hawaiian forgiveness process), Dr. Matt empowers students in NLP, Hypnosis, Mental Emotional Release® Therapy, and a 28 generation lineage of Huna – energy, healing and spiritual development utilized in ancient Hawai’i. As an industry leader in personal development, Dr. Matt teaches his students how to live their most empowered life incorporating the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of Self through NLP, Ho’oponopono, Huna, Mental and Emotional Release® Therapy (MER®) and Hypnosis. Dr. Matt is certainly making his life a living demonstration of the extraordinary power of this wisdom. Along the way, he has picked up several university degrees, including an MA in Organizational Management and a PhD in Health (Integrative) Psychology. He is the author of The Foundation of Huna: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times, Find Your Purpose, Master Your Path and Integrate the Shadow, Master Your Path, and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and Psychology Today. George Na’ope’s full name is George Lanakilakekiahiali’i Na’ope, but throughout the Hawaiian Islands he is known simply as “Uncle George.” He is revered for his knowledge and mastery of traditional hula and c
HILO, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hundreds gathered on the island of Hawaii to honor the life of the award- winning kumu hula, Rae Fonseca.
"We miss him very, very deeply. I miss him, he was a special friend, like a father to me since like a father to me since my father passed away" said Melana Manuel.
Leinaala Jardine, was Rae's student. She remembers him as a tough but loving teacher.
"If you listen to all his haumana or anyone that was close to him, he made it a point to always tell us how much he loved us" said Jardine.
Hundreds showed up today showed up Friday to show their love for him, sharing food, music and Rae's true love, hula.
"He always helped me when i was doing my hula.He used to hug me and he used to call me bebe nails" said Jeslie Pavao.
Laughter was a big part of the celebration too, with stories being shared that probably would have made him blush. Like the time, he visited Kauai's Na Pali coast and his friends prodded him to jump in the deep blue.
"He dropped his shorts, under his khaki shorts were blue boxers with little orange goldfish. It cracked us up because it was so unlike him to do something like that. And now, a memory that we'll never, ever forget" said Jardine.
Kumu hula Etua Lopes grew up with Rae. They both graduated from Castle High School, and later studied hula under the instruction of Uncle George Naope.
"Danced, drummed together, did everything. So he's a part of me like I'm a part of him" said Lopes.
Born November 17th 1953, Rae Fonseca passed on March 20th at Lanikuhonua right after a performance. He was 56 years old.
"He loved Lanikuhonua, he loved the area, and the peace of everything, the love of all his students, the haumana that day was so maikai" said Kapiolani Hao.
"It was a complete shock, it was something that I'll never forget and I'll always cherish because I at least got to say goodbye and I got to say that I love him" said Sammy Kuualoha Young.
Matthew B. James, MA, PhD