Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu

Born in Waikīkī at the old Kaiser Hospital and raised in Kaimukī, Kumu Keola has always been fond of Oʻahu’s “South Shore.” From an early age he developed a profound respect for Hawaiian culture and nature. His formative years were filled with island outdoor activities: hiking, surfing, spear diving, canoe paddling, and more. Eventually, his aloha for cultural knowledge and desire to serve the Hawaiian community brought him to another traditional island activity, hula.

Keola’s Hawaiian family descends from Kaʻū and Papa on the island of Hawaiʻi through his great grandparents, Henry Ahnee and Esther Kawaiola. Upon relocating to Oʻahu, Keola’s grandmother, Elsie Liko Ahnee, was born in Haleʻiwa, Waialua. A long time hula dancer herself, it was she who brought Keola to Hālau Nā Mamo O Puʻuanahulu in 1994.

Hula has become a constant companion for Keola over the years. It is a journey that has been challenging as much as it has been rewarding. Hula has helped to define his identity and has become the lens through which he understands the world. It has provided him with a unique connection to his cultural heritage and the Hawaiian natural environment.

Throughout his hula career, Keola has been privileged to perform in a variety of venues ranging from local backyard parties, to prestigious hula competitions, to international dance productions. Gaining from every experience, Kumu Keola remains eternally grateful to his Kumu Hula, Sonny Ching, his extended hula ʻohana, and the many hālau supporters who have made his hula aspirations possible.

Kumu Keola is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He has a Bachelor’s of Arts and a Master’s Degree in Hawaiian Studies with an emphasis in mālama ʻāina (Hawaiian natural environment) and kumu kahiki (comparative Polynesian studies). His thesis entitled Rapa Nui-Hawaiʻi Connections: A Translation of Geo-Etimoligia de la Isla de Pascua analyzes Rapa Nui place names in comparison to those of Hawaiʻi and the greater Pacific.

Since 2004, Kumu Keola has worked as an instructor at the University of Hawai‘i’s Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies. He is also a Cultural Specialist for Kamehameha Schools in the Hoʻokahua Hawaiian Culture Development Office.

In 2008, Keola married the “love of his life,” the ever beautiful Tasha Kawamata Ryan. Through her love and support Keola has become the accomplished person he is today. In 2011, Keola and Tasha formed North Shore EcoTours (NSET) – an educational tour company focusing on Hawaiian culture and nature. Today NSET offers hiking, off-roading, and other cultural experiences for tourists, educational groups, and visiting hālau hula.

As a new Kumu Hula, Keola is excited to see what Akua has in store for him. Even though he is not actively involved in hālau these days, he will always carry Hālau Nā Mamo O Puʻuanahulu in his heart. While Keola’s interaction with hula continues to evolve, one thing however is certain, his deep and abiding Aloha for Hawaiian culture and education will always keep him active in hula traditions and rooted firmly in Hawaiʻi.