A Beautiful Addition: Portuguese Flower Dance Costume Joins Origins Museum

Did you know it was the Portuguese who introduced the Ukulele to Hawai’i with an instrument called the Braguinha? The Portuguese have had a notable influence on Hawaiian culture and this colorful traditional costume is on loan from the Portuguese Association of Maui, who have a modest yet informative resource center at the Heritage Hall, in Paia. 

Their wise historian and executive director, Audrey Rocha Reed is an encyclopedia of Portuguese history in Hawai’i. She has generously loaned us her invaluable knowledge and this awesome representation of Portuguese dance to remind and celebrate the significance of the Portuguese presence here in Maui.