Aloha! E komo mai (welcome) to the Old Lahaina Luau ~ Thursday, August 26, 2010 Kolleen and I celebrated our 27th Wedding Anniversary here. Old Lahaina Luau is "no ka oi" - the best! Bruce Wheeler Photos (C) 2010 (Press F11 to go to full screen.) http://www.maui-angels.com
Canoe hale ....
This shot has me thinking of '30s and '40s Hawai'i...
Not the most common of plumeria blossoms, but certainly some of the nicest.
"What, want one mai tai?"
Happy 27th anniversary, sweetheart!
This is Kai, our "server" for the night. Kai no ka oi!
Shaka braddah!
Kai hana hou!
fo' lighting one stage....
"Cheese!"
The OLL taro patch!
The imu, a Hawaiian-style earthen oven used for cooking pigs.
I didn't get the names of these guys, but they were singing a song about Waikapu (my current 'home town') when I took this picture.
The OLL buffet....
A lei stand filled with dendrobium orchid lei...
Fading day...
Kolleen enjoying her virgin lava something drink...
Back at the imu, a crowd is forming to witness the removal of the cooked pig.
A print from a painting of an ahupua`a (a division of land) that ran from the mountains to the sea, encompassing all the elements important to a native Hawaiian - the growing of food, the placement of homes and heiau (temples) and everything relating to the ocean.
A typical ahupua`a (land division), not unlike those found in the Lahaina district of West Maui at the time of the arrival of the first Westerners.
As the crowd gathers, the pig waits...
"Hurry, they're getting ready to take the pig out of the oven!"
As the pig pullers arrive, the crowd goes wild!
OLL guy: "OK, how many of you know what kiawe is called on the mainland?" Kolleen: "Mesquite?" OLL guy, expressing mild surprise: "Yes."
Banana leaves....
Steam starts to exit the oven...
Applause, applause...
Oink!
pig snout
It was explained to us that early native Hawaiians never used "chicken wire" (but they may have had "chicken skin").
dinner
Let the entertainment begin!
Everybody loves a sunset!
technical kine stuffs hana hou!
Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner and kumu (teacher), the late Charles Ka'upu (1958-2011). "Ka'upu had been intimately involved with every part of the (Old Lahaina Luau) since its founding."
One of my favorite shots from that evening....
Another fave...
Those who were "Just Maui'd," or on island for their honeymoon or celebrating an anniversary were encouraged to "come dance" to the Hawaiian Wedding Song. (Oddly, the song played for dancing was NOT the Hawaiian Wedding Song. Strange.)
Amazing how many there were dancing!
These kids, who sat across from us, are from Illinois and were on their honeymoon.
Kai back with a little shaka-kine attitude!
This is a crop of the following photo...
The end... Aloha!
