Keola

Overall Winners of Merrie Monarch 2026
Hālau Hi’iakaināmakalehua
Kumu Robert Keano Ka’upu IV
1st Kāne Kahiko
1st Wahine Kahiko
1st Kāne ‘Auana
1st Kāne Overall

Keoe Momilani Michiko Hoe
Hālau Hi’iakaināmakalehua
“Ke Aloha”
A classic mele recalls in loving language where Aloha is felt through scent, voice, breath, and gentle touch. It portrays affection as a shared space where two find protection, comfort, and contentment in each other. Keoe repurposes this classic, serving as a love letter to her late father, Kealoha Hoe, transforming its romantic intent into an expression of enduring familial devotion.