Nālani Kanakaʻole, revered Kumu Hula and cultural matriarch, passes at 79

Nālani Kanakaʻole, a fifth-generation loea hula whose life work preserved and perpetuated the ancient traditions of Hawaiian chant and hula kahiko, died peacefully on Jan. 3, 2026, in Hilo. She was 79.

Born Faith Nālani Kanakaʻole on March 19, 1946, in Keaukaha, Hilo, Kanakaʻole was raised in a traditional Hawaiian household on homestead lands, immersed from childhood in the language, protocols and practices of her ancestors.

The youngest daughter of the legendary Edith Kanakaʻole – a Living Treasure of Hawaiʻi and founder of Hālau o Kekuhi – Kanakaʻole began her rigorous training in hula at age 3 under her grandmother, Mary Kekuewa Kanaele Fujii, and later under her mother. She started teaching at age 14 and devoted nearly seven decades to transmitting cultural knowledge through strict, time-honored methods that emphasized simultaneous mastery of mele oli (chanted poetry) and vigorous ‘aihaʻa-style dance.

Kanakaʻole co-led Hālau o Kekuhi with her sister, Loea Hula Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele, and later with her niece, Huihui Kanahele-Mossman. The hālau, internationally acclaimed for its mastery of pre-contact hula forms, serves as a living repository of ancestral knowledge, performing across the globe while remaining deeply rooted in Hilo and the spirit of Hawaiʻi Island.

In 1993, Kanakaʻole and her sister were jointly named National Heritage Fellows by the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts, in recognition of their lifelong commitment to preserving indigenous Hawaiian chant and dance.

Kanakaʻole also co-founded Sig Zane Designs in 1985 with her husband, Sig Zane. The company blends wearable art with cultural education, featuring designs inspired by native Hawaiian plants, moʻolelo and symbols that continue to share Hawaiian stories worldwide. Their son, Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane, carries the vision forward as the recently named Chief Executive Officer of the design firm.

Ever the storyteller, the venerated hula master had a passion for design, architecture and art. Kanakaʻole’s philosophy – that true creativity flows from deep respect for tradition – guided generations of haumāna under her tutelage. She lectured in Hawaiian Studies, authored works on hula and design, and scripted performances.  

In a poignant tribute just months before her passing, the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts honored the enduring contributions of the Kanakaʻole family to Hawaiian music and culture. Announced in November 2025, the academy selected the Kanakaʻole Sisters – both expert kumu hula, Nālani Kanakaʻole and her sister Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele – among this year’s distinguished honorees for their lifetime dedication to preserving and advancing traditional Hawaiian chant, mele, and performance.

The recognition celebrates the sisters’ role in carrying forward the legacy of their mother, the late Edith Kanakaʻole, through Hālau o Kekuhi and countless recordings, teachings, and performances that have elevated Hawaiian-language music and hula kahiko on global stages. Additional family honors included the Crash Kealoha Award presented to the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation and a posthumous Legacy Award for Edith Kanakaʻole herself.

She is survived by her husband, Sigmund Zane; son, Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane (Shaelene Kamakaʻala), grandchildren, Loliʻi Kamakaʻala Barron and Nāholowaʻa Zane; sister, Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele; niece and co-kumu hula, Huihui Kanahele-Mossman; and the extended Kanakaʻole, Kanahele and Zane ʻohana, along with countless students and practitioners throughout the world who carry her teachings.

Details on memorial services are pending and will be announced at the appropriate time.