Over a span of nearly 40 years as an ʻōlapa and later, kumu hula, Tracie Ka‘ōnohilani Farias Lopes KSK’89 has earned just about every Merrie Monarch Festival accolade that exists. The 1994 Miss Aloha Hula knows all too well what it’s like to pour everything into a performance and then await the ultimate verdict from the panel of judges.
However, in 2025, Lopes found herself on the other side of the scorer’s table, serving as a Merrie Monarch luna loiloi for the first time.
Her alanui to becoming a judge began right after some incredible Merrie Monarch results in 2024. Serving as a kumu hula alongside her husband, Keawe, their Kāneʻohe/Puahuʻula-based hālau, Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, had just earned top honors in the Group Overall, Wāhine Overall and Wāhine ʻAuana categories. The hālau also celebrated Lopes’ daughter, Kaʻōnohikaumakaakeawe Kananiokeakua Holokai Lopes KSK’20, who was crowned Miss Aloha Hula following in the footsteps of both mom, and older sister, Piʻikea Lopes KSK’18.
From there, ʻohana Lopes had planned to take a break and not have their hālau participate in 2025.
“We decided to celebrate our 20 years as a hālau. We opened in 2005, so this year we make 20 years and we had already decided that we wanted to take a break and have our ʻohana soak up the experience of Hilo and the festival as spectators,” said Lopes.
But an unexpected question by festival president Auntie Luana Kawelu put Lopes on a different path.
“She said, ʻTracy, will you judge?’ I was silent for a couple minutes and then — it’s Auntie Luana — so I said yes. She’s trusted us from the very beginning, so if she thought that I was ready to take that on then I trusted her back and I said yes.”
For the first time since 1987, Lopes found herself untethered to the months-long routine and rigor of getting ready to perform. Instead, she dove into a different kind of prep work, which included studying the fact sheets submitted by the kumu hula representing each competing hālau.
“Being given that opportunity to read other people's expressions of their presentations was a real gift. I could see through the level of writing and storytelling of the kumu — it was almost destined to be just as good on stage,” said Lopes.
When it came to the actual competition, Lopes genuinely enjoyed having a different kuleana — and vantage point.
“I've always had to watch the DVR or the replay and then you're only seeing what the camera gives you. From the scorer’s table, your eye can go wherever it needs to or wants to, top to bottom because we’re at feet view,”
Lopes made sure to take the time to write a comment if a score reached a certain threshold, because it’s feedback she finds invaluable when serving as a kumu hula. She also says serving as a judge further deepened her sense of kuleana.
“It opened up my world — in the decisions we make and what we present as a hālau, and then as a judge further understanding the kuleana of the consideration I give to each performance,” said Lopes.
Lopes will bring these enriching experiences into 2026 as Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e is poised to return to the Merrie Monarch stage.
When looking back at her time at Kapālama, the proud alum says Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha offered a perfect balance of a Christian environment, rigorous academics and a chance explore passions like signing in Concert Glee, which then opened doors to hula and chant.
She’s also forever grateful to Ke Aliʻi Pauahi, whose perseverance and forethought laid the kahua for success in her life.
“It’s Ke Akua first because He gives us all these opportunities to begin with. The prayers my parents had for me to do well and the prayers for my children are really echoes of prayer that Pauahi had for all of us.”
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