Tales of the Kapa Moe Lūʻau: A Feast For All Senses

A lively depiction of a day in the life of our ancestors as they display the different kuleana or task of everyone in the village.

• The kalai waʻa or canoe carver shaping a newly fallen koa tree, 
• The men of the loʻi or taro patch preparing to plant kalo, 
• The women beating fresh kapa and weaving strong lauhala mats, and
• The fisherman casting his net to catch fish.

They all stop at the sound of the conch signifying that Anakala Haʻi, the storyteller, is coming with water. He gathers everyone together to give them refreshment while they rest. He then breaks out in unified chant.

He notices a youngster, Moea, isn't interested and rather irritated by the fun of story time. Anakala Haʻi addresses her and asks, "Do you not believe in these stories?"

Sarcastically, she smiles with a smirk. He quietly places her under a spell that slowly send her into a deep slumber. The villagers are summoned home and Moea remains fast asleep.

Anakala then places a magical Kapa Moe (blanket) on her, and as she sleeps, the blanket takes her to see all the wonderful stories and legends of her ancestors.

These are the tales of the Kapa Moe:

• Koʻi Honua - A story of the creation of the islands
• Pele - Goddess of the volcano and its molten lava
• Kanehekili - God of thunder bringing forth rain to start growth
• Laka - Goddess of the forest and all earthly vegetation
• Ka I ka hoe - Audience participation chant lesson
• Huakaʻi Hele - Migration of our ancestors from the south pacific
• Ka wailele o Honokohau - Acrobat in the form of a waterfall
• Ae Kakou - Men dance expressing their love for fish and poi
• Lānaʻi - The beauty of Lānaʻi displayed as our women dance in a cloud
• Moea awakens - Fire finale representing that the fire of our people its heritage will continue to live and burn strong

This mesmerizing experience goes above and beyond the expected lūʻau, yet remains deeply rooted within the rich and powerful presentations of Hawaiʻi. The chanting is live, costuming is handmade, and dances are sultry, vibrant, and explosive.

This show has been designed exclusively for The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua.

Enjoy!

-Pono Murray, Kumu Hula, Show Creator