PO‘IPU — May Day’s connection to tradition gave Troy Lazaro an opportunity to celebrate Hawaiian culture as he pooled the staff of the Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club on Thursday. Drawing on the Hawaiian culture, James Kimo Kaliloa Viado reigned as
PO‘IPU — May Day’s connection to tradition gave Troy Lazaro an opportunity to celebrate Hawaiian culture as he pooled the staff of the Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club on Thursday.
Drawing on the Hawaiian culture, James Kimo Kaliloa Viado reigned as the May Day king while Linda Kainani Viado was the queen.
From the pool of guests, Lazaro offered a lei of aloha to Robin Goss, a feather lei maker from California, and got his cousin, Lopaka Bukoski, to offer the prayer, Bukoski coming from the Big Island to visit Lazaro for May Day.
A more recent addition to the island, Jackie Raimes, a new Hawaiian Homes owner, was formerly from California and able to return courtesy of Hawaiian Homes, Lazaro said, pointing out the guests who had prominent seats for the ceremony.
Punctuating the protocol with doses of mele, or song and hula, the guests became part of the celebration when Lazaro suggested that each person become a flower, and by holding hands and forming a circle, the gathering became a large lei of aloha.
Aunty Janet Kahalekomo, a kupuna with ‘Ele‘ele School and a cultural practitioner, was honored for her work at perpetuating the Hawaiian culture, the honoree being occupied with demonstrating the art of Hawaiian salt-making and being totally unaware that she had won in one of the categories at the Kaua‘i Museum’s 30th Annual Hawaiian Lei Contest taking place in Lihu‘e. (See related story.)
Mayette Loseto, an employee with the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa, said she was up early, having to deliver her lei entry to the Kaua‘i Museum, returning to Po‘ipu to have a lei for the Waiohai celebration.
Stella Burgess, the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i’s director of Hawaiian culture, was also on hand for the Waiohai celebration, taking time to answer questions from guests on lei which were available for viewing as part of the resort’s lei contest.
In a previous May Day celebration, Burgess said the Grand Hyatt participates heavily with the Prince Kuhio Day celebration marking the birth of Prince Jonah Kuhio, and backs off so other resorts can celebrate events like May Day.
In addition to the protocol ceremony, Lazaro said the celebration would go on the entire day with crafters and vendors lining The Marketplace lanai and the day wrapping up with the lu‘au where another honoree would be acknowledged.
