As part of Tatou Festival 2025, one of the highlight of the event was the evening dedicated to performances by Te Ao Mana, presenting a World Premiere of Dance Suite from Lili’u Opera, with original music compositions by Leilehua Lanzilotti. Text for the opera were transcribed from the personal journals of the late Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The opera was been a project that Leilehua and Anthony collaborated on over the past two years. The Native Arts + Cultures Foundation SHIFT grant helped fund the work.

Other featured performers included Dan Taulapapa McMullin, a Samoan poet and painter. Te Ao Mana also reprised his ever evolving movement based work Auē Away, with original music composition by TJ Keanu Tario.

We also had the pleasure of being delighted by a special piano and hula performance by TJ Keanu Tario, a Kanaka Maoli, piano virtuoso.