Photos of some lovely hawaiian aunties

I love the way Hawaiian women dress for celebrations, we could use this tradition here. This trip I tried to take a lot of photos of hats and hairpieces, and some of these are going to be in a Picasa file soon. Here are some women, and womanly beings, I found particularly beautiful


Above, Na `Iwa`Iwa, the 'house band' of much of the merrie monarch this year. Two of them have been members of the group, Na Palapalai. (In Hawaii, many men do sing in the upper register, but it's masculine; a few choose to fully take on feminine personas. They are amazing and captivating. We love the house band!

Below, an esteemed Merrie Monarch judge, Nalani Kanaka`ole; a Merrie Monarch parade bystander; a happy vendor at the skilled arts and crafts fair at the Civic Center












Three more judges, draped with honorary leis. I think these are Kimo Alama Keaulana, maybe Joan S. Lindsey, and Pat Namaka Bacon.
Below them, a gracious woman who must have an important role in fostering the MM as she seems to greet everyone and everyone seems to greet her. Like many women at the celebration, she had a lovely dress and hairpiece for each of the main evenings.















Auntie Elizabeth Lee, a famous lau hala hat maker; Jamie Lynn Gilmore (www.gilmorearts.com), a very special artist who focuses on Hawaiian plant species, and who lives in the southernmost district of Ka`u; and an unknown auntie getting ready for the parade (but I think from her dress that I have a picture of her below in the car labeled 'grandmother of the year'