Happiness

Heilala

IT ALL began fairly quietly with an art and craft exhibition on June 26. But slowly built up to a crescendo of music, dancing, singing, and out and out celebration as Tonga was gripped by 15 days of the Heilala Festival. Without a doubt one of the biggest affairs the tiny island kingdom has seen - and will see for a long time.

Brass bands, military parades, tra ditional dancing, singing, sports, a float parade, a choral festival, a fishing tournament - the list of happenings goes on as business ground to a halt and

Tonga came alive.

The Heilala Festival is held annually to coincide with the birthday of Tongan monarch King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV.

This year being his 75th birthday celebrations naturally stepped up a pace and to further add to the festivity the silver jubilee of his coronation was also celebrated (although this officially hap pened last year). All this turned the

normally quiet, slow-paced capital,

Nuku’alofa, into a sea of colour and activity.

Elaborately decorated arches went up

across roads in and around the capital wishing the King happy birthday and a long life, hundreds of Tongans from abroad arrived for the celebrations, overseas sports teams came to compete and food by the basket-load was pre pared for the many feasts.

Undoubtedly the major highlight of the festival is the Miss Heilala beauty pageant. Young Tongan ladies are joined by contestants from the Tongan communities in New Zealand, Australia and the United States to challenge for the Miss Heilala title. They are kept busy

[?] mile: the crowd enjoy the float parade

Kim Taylor

with the events that score them points for the Miss Heilala crown as well as numerous appearances at festival activi ties.

While sophistication, beauty and glamour are certainly important el ements for the contestants to have, they are also judged on their knowledge of the Tongan and English languages, Tongan culture and communications skills. They also compete in a talent quest to display their entertainment skills.

While the events score equally towards the Miss Heilala title, there is one aspect that truly makes this pageant unique to Tonga - the Miss Tau’olunga competition.

The Tau’olunga is a classical solo dance traditionally performed by the daughters of the royal family and nobility. Each aspect of the dance presentation - the costume, the set piece movements, the grace and the art of their execution, the natural charm and beauty of the dancer - are judged according to strict criteria by a panel of cultural dance experts.

Such is the importance of this event a Miss Tau’olunga title is awarded which is regarded just as prestigious as the Miss Heilala crown.

Sports too is very much a part of the Heilala festivities. There are the usual like soccer - both men’s and women’s matches - and rugby. Hang on! Maybe the word usual better be clarified. A soccer match in Nuku’alofa during the Heilala Festival takes on a very festive air. Matronly women in the grandstand roar with laughter at every missed goal and mistake as the players try and stay serious. But you soon realise they are not laughing at the players but with them as

match continues in the spirit of Heilala.

Visiting teams from Western Samoa and the Cook Islands competed in the soccer competition, a Western Samoan team played in the volleyball tourna ment and a number of regional countries were represented in the squash compe tition.

Other sports include tennis, cricket

(Tonga IX vs Expatriate IX), golf,

basketball, snooker, touch rugby, game fishing, netball, rugby league, a fun run, a golden mile race, a tug-of-war, rowing, - you get the picture, just a whole lot of fun. There was also competition in the little heard of sport of canoe polo which according to organisers of the sport is set to take off in the kingdom. There are plans to introduce canoe polo to the outer islands where children spend a lot of time playing in the sea.

Helping the King celebrate were foreign dignitaries including New Zea land Governor General Dame Catherine Tizard, Fiji’s vice-president Ratu Sir

Kamisese Mara, Western Samoa Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II and rep resentatives of Germany, Australia, France, Britain and Spain.

Perhaps the most spectacular event of the festival was Tupakapakamva , the traditional torch lighting ceremony. As darkness fell on July 5 hundreds of torches of bound reeds dotted the coastline of Nuku’alofa and offshore islands as a tribute to the king. The sight

was breath-taking and truly Tongan

style celebrating.

Many events and activities make up the Heilala Festival but much more than this it is a celebration of love, laughter and life. □

Wave: one of the many colourful floats

Marlin Tiffany Pose: body-building was also on the program

Kim Taylor

Eyes front: Tongan defence force troops during the military parade