Merrie Monarch Festival

The Merrie Monarch Festival is the premiere hula event in the world, often referred to as the “Olympics” or “World Championship” of the Hawaiian dance called the “Hula”. Hula is more than just “dance”; it is a long time continuation of culture, language and music. It tells the stories of the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands past and present, continues to tell the stories of the gods and goddesses of the Hawaiian Islands, the relationships formed between Hawaiians and their land, sea, sky and everything around them and what "Aloha ʻAina" is and means to all that exists here in the islands and who choose to embrace the concept around the world.The culture was endangered from religious and social changes by missionaries and people coming to Hawaii from outside the islands in the 1800ʻs and by the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom by American businessmen backed by an unknowing United States Military in 1893. After the overthrow, there were attempts at purging the Hawaiian language, making rules that made it difficult for Hawaiian people to own land, to get a better education. People like the Kumu Hula (teachers) of hula halau (hula schools) today and the past are perfect examples of people that have stepped up to make great strides in continuing the protocol, language, music and dances of our Hawaiian people. The Merrie Monarch Festival, along with Hawaiian language schools are part of the fabric that has kept all of these cultural aspects and lifestyle of the islands from slipping away. Billy V has been proud to be part of this rich history by being the anchor for the Merrie Monarch Festival Television Broadcasts from 2014-2017