The 2010 Tahiti Fete of San Jose took place over the July 4th weekend at the San Jose State University Campus. The sold out event featured Tahitian dance groups from the greater California area and included dance workshops, drumming workshops, and cultural workshops.Competition occurs in two group categories. Generally Hura Ava Tau groups are any small, new, or amateur group with a minimum of five (5) dancers; has never placed First in any major Heiva competition as a professional group. A Hura Tau group is any established professional or long-time Tahitian dance group with a minimum of five (5) dancers.
Photos of the event courtesy of Chad Makaio. Visit his Facebook page for more photos including the above photo and the current front page feature.
In each group category, are the different competition areas - aparima, ahuroa, ote'a, drumming, music, costume, and ra'atira.
This year, defending title holder, Nonosina placed in many categories including the Ori Rau (modern interpretation) award, but it was Te Pura O Te Rahura'a of South San Francisco and led by ra'atira Marilou Ubaldo that came away with the Overall Hura Tau Group award. The group was the 2008 Hura Ava Tau Overall group and moved up to the Hura Tau level this year. Lake Forest group Le Polynesia, led by Guy Keala and Lori Lei Montgomery was awarded the 2010 Hura Ava Tau group award.
Group Results for the 2010 Tahiti Fete of San Jose
Hura Tau Otea
1 Manuia of Daly City CA
2 Te Pura O Te Rahura’a of South San Francisco CA
3 No Te Here o Te Hiroa of Fresno CA
Hura Tau Aparima
1 Manuia - Daly City, CA
2 No Te Here o Te Hiroa – Fresno, CA
3 Da Island Way of Concord CA
Hura Tau Ahuroa
1 Nonosina of Anaheim CA
2 Te Pura o Te Rahura’a of South San Francisco CA
3 Manuia of Daly City CA
Tupuna Ahuroa
1 Manuia of Daly City CA
2 Ka Ua Tuahine of Oakland CA
3 Ehulani's Otea of Hayward CA
Hura Ava Tau Otea
1 Tamari’i Mata’irea of Stockton CA
2 Le Polynesia of Aliso Viejo CA
3 Makamae Melia o Polynesia of Elk Gove CA
Hura Ava Tau Aparima
1 Tamari’i Mata’irea of Stockton CA
2 Kaleo’Onalani of San Diego CA
3 Le Polynesia of Aliso Viejo CA
Hura Ava Tau Ahuroa
1 Tamari’i Maita’irea of Stockton CA
2 Te Pura o Te Rahura’a of South San Francisco CA
3 Here Hau of Hercules CA
Ori Rau Otea
1 Nonosina of Anaheim CA
2 Kaleo’Onalani of San Diego CA
Tamarii Otea
1 Manuia – Daly City CA
2 Te Pura o Te Rahura’a of South San Francisco CA
3 No Te Here o Te Hiroa of Fresno CA
Tamarii Aparima
1 Te Pura o Te Rahura’a of South San Francisco CA
2 Nonosina of Anaheim CA
3 Tamari’i Mata’irea of Stockton CA
Hura Tau Drumming
1 Ia Ora o Tahiti Nui of Honolulu HI
2 Nemenzo of Daly City CA
3 Te Pura o Te Rahura’a of South San Francisco CA
Hura Tau Music
1 Nonosina of Anaheim CA
2 No Te Here o Te Hiroa of Fresno CA
3 Da Island Way of Concord CA
Hura Ava Tau Drumming
1 LeiIsa of San Diego CA
2 Tamali’i O Lumana’i of Hayward CA
3 Le Polynesia of Aliso Viejo CA
Hura Tau Music
1 Tamari’i Maita’irea of Stockton CA
2 Le Polynesia of Aliso Viejo CA
3 Makamae Melia o Polynesia of Elk Gove CA
Overall
Hura Tau – Te Pura o Te Rahura’a
Hura Ava Tau – Le Polynesia
Ori Rau - Nonosina
4 comments:
Nonosina is the returning title holder but did not compete in the Traditional 'Ote'a, but did compete in the Ori Rau Contemporary 'Ote'a, and won. Please clarify that groups could only compete in one of the two categories this year. That said, please don't mislead readers that Nonosina did not come away with the Hura Tau Group Award because they didn't compete. Furthermore, please don't downplay Nonosina's group accomplishments at this year's Tahiti Fete by stating that they just placed in their categories. Have some integrity and state that Nonosina took first place in 4 of the major categories. It makes you rethink who the real overall winner is.
I don't think the writer mislead anyone in his/her reporting of the results from San Jose.... if you read the ENTIRE article, you will see that, at the bottom there are THREE OVERALL WINNERS: he/she listed Te Pura of Ra'ahura as Overall Hura Tau, Le Polynesia as Hura Ava Tau, and Nonosina as Ori Rau.
Hura Tau is the bigger category, in that more groups compete in it. Nonosina did win Ori Rau, and they were great - but they were only 2 groups in that category, so it makes sense that the focus of the article would be on Hura Tau as that is the category that involved the 'majority' of groups participating....
No one "downplayed" Nonosina's accomplishments this year.... As a firm and avid fan of Nonosina, I will be the first to say they're a fantastic group, but just because their name isn't mentioned 20x in the course of this "report" doesn't mean the author overlooked OR lacked "integrity" in reporting the results. Calm down already.
Well put Alei, some people are so quick to get defensive and then marginalize the accomplishments of others.
Firmo, you point out that Nonosina took 1st in four major categories, yet you conveniently forget to mention that another group also took 1st place in four categories, and within their grouping? Are you saying their hard work and accomplishments are less noteworthy than Nonosina's?
Nonosina is a great group, no one is disputing that but there are other groups just as good. This is the bad side of competition, brings out the true dark side of some people and then others forget what this is all about, tradition, culture and respect first.
I just read the comment from Firmo concerning NONOSINA .This is Aunty Riki from Nonosina & I am totally puzzled on his comment & opinion concerning the placement & awards.This was his opinion & not ours we at Nonosina at no time felt a downplay on the group accomplishments.We don't need any spokesperson for our group or a middleman we speak for ourselves.When I teach I have always taught the rule of good sportsmanship & not dancing for the trophy.We dance for the LOVE & the MANA of Tahitian dancing & all Polynesian dancing.We are grateful for the awards received.We acknowledge all the groups who participated,not only the ones who received awards but also those that did not.They were all AWESOME & I know all the hard work that went with it.We do not count our awards & to me the real OVERALL winners was everyone.Peace & Love to all the groups.
Much Alofa~Aunty Riki & the Nonosina fam
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