Ka Makana Ali‘i Hosts Ola Ka ‘Ī Ewa on Saturday, Feb. 22 to Celebrate Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i

The community is invited to enjoy entertainment, games, haʻi ʻōlelo (Hawaiian language speech competition), and more at the gathering place in Kapolei

KAPOLEI, HI (February 19, 2025) — Ka Makana Ali‘i is pleased to host Ola Ka ‘Ī ʻEwa on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to celebrate Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, or Hawaiian Language Month. Ola Ka ʻĪ ʻEwa invites all community members, Hawaiian language speakers, and learners of all ages to a fun-filled day at the gathering place in Kapolei.

Noʻeau Designers and Kanaeokana, together with Native Hawaiian organizations, will showcase the Hawaiian language within the West O‘ahu community. Ola Ka ‘Ī ʻEwa will celebrate ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through entertainment, games, hoʻokūkū haʻi ʻōlelo (Hawaiian language speech competition), shopping, dining, and fun for the entire ʻohana.

“Ka Makana Ali‘i is honored to again host Ola Ka ‘Ī ʻEwa at the Center to celebrate Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i,” said Stephanie England, general manager at Ka Makana Ali‘i. “As a Center that is home to many Native Hawaiian-owned and operated businesses, we are grateful to be a place where our community can learn, speak and celebrate the indigenous language.”

This year, Ola Ka ‘Ī ʻEwa will honor and be dedicated to the late Kumu Hula Lāhela Igarta, an icon in the Honouliuli community who served the lāhui and made profound advancements for the Hawaiian people through her work as a kumu hula, a kumu kaiapuni and as a beloved ʻanakē. Coming from a family rich in Hawaiian music and hula, dancing and mele were a part of Kumu Lāhelaʻs life from birth and this became the kahua or foundation of her life.

Through ʻIlima Hula Studio with Kumu Louise and Luka Kaleiki, Kumu Lāhelaʻs passion for hula was ignited and she decided during her first class at the age of 7 that she would teach school and teach hula on the weekends. Kumu Lāhela continued on this path toward ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, mele and hula throughout her life studying under Kumu Hula Sam Bernard of Hālau Kaulu Laka and later became an ʻōlapa of Nā Mamo o Puʻuanahulu. This led to many long years of study and the honor of ʻūniki with Kumu Hula Sonny Ching, and starting her own halau — Hālau Nā Mamo o ʻUpaʻikaʻuaua.

Her contributions to the lāhui are many, but serving as a kumu mele for Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Waiau for many years and educating ‘ōlapa hula ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi are chief among them. Kumu Hula Lāhela Igartaʻs original compositions have created a body of mele hula dedicated to the moku of Honouliuli and the ʻEwa region, many of which were performed at last year’s Ola Ka ʻĪ ʻEwa.

This year, her ʻohana and ʻohana hula from Hālau Nā Mamo o Puʻuanahulu and Hālau Nā Mamo o ʻUpaʻikaʻuaua will offer the opening oli and mele for Ola ka ʻĪ ʻEwa.   The public is invited to enjoy more performances by Pūnana Leo Hawaiian Language Preschool, Paoakalani Hula School with Kumu Kalani Hiapo, Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Waiau, INPEACE: Keiki Steps, Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Mā‘ilikūkahi, Ho‘okūkū ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i Laureates, Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Kapolei, and Ka Waihona o ka Na‘auao. For more information, visit https://www.mahinaolelohawaii.org/.

Visit our website at www.kamakanaalii.com for more details about upcoming promotions. For the latest news and updates, follow Ka Makana Ali‘i on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, all with profile name @kamakanaalii. For media inquiries and on-property approval, please contact alyssa.amasol@finnpartners.com.

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About Ka Makana Ali‘i
Ka Makana Ali‘i offers residents and visitors a family-friendly, mixed-use center in the heart of Hawai‘i’s fastest-growing community. The 750,000-square-foot Macy’s-anchored super-regional center features more than 100 exciting stores, restaurants, a state-of-the-art Consolidated Theatres and the state’s first Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton located on property. The newest development, The Grove at Ka Makana Ali‘i, creates an additional 109,000 square feet of space with lifestyle retailers, eateries and services, such as 24 Hour Fitness, Foodland Farms, Straub Clinic and Urgent Care, and PetSmart. Serving as the premier gathering place in Kapolei, Ka Makana Ali‘i fulfills the shopping and dining needs of the ever-expanding community. Its convenient location offers excellent highway access, ample parking and public transportation for shoppers. Ka Makana Ali‘i is owned by Kapolei Hawaii Property Company, LLC, a joint venture between DeBartolo Development and OPTrust. Through an innovative partnership with Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Ka Makana Ali‘i will financially support programs benefiting Native Hawaiian interests statewide for decades to come. For more information, please visit www.kamakanaalii.com.

About JLL
For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $20.9 billion and operations in over 80 countries around the world, our more than 103,000 employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAYSM. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.

Media Contact:
Alyssa Amasol
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