Liliûuokalani (1838âÂÂ1917), Queen of the Hawaiian Islands, was one of Hawaiûi's most accomplished composers and musicians. She composed over 165 songs and chants. One of her most notable musical compositions is the popular song "Aloha ûOe".
(Farewell to Thee), Liliûuokalani's most famous work about two lovers bidding farewell.
(The Song of the Hawaiian Nation), was the third of Hawaiûi's four national anthems. Liliûuokalani wrote this song at the request of King Kamehameha V in 1866, well before she was queen.
Nohea I Muûolaulani, translated as Handsome One of Muûolaulani sometimes as Handsome at Muûolaulani, and also referred to simply as Muûolaulani, dates to May 1885. It was composed for Liliûuokalani's new home in KapÃÂlama named Mu'olaulani which was opened with a gala party in May 1885. The KapÃÂlama house was a source of great joy to her and became the subject of this song. It is now the site of the Lili'uokalani Children's Center.
Ahe Lau Makani, translated as The Soft Gentle Breeze or There is a Zephyr, is a famous waltz composed by Queen Liliûuokalani around 1868. Probably written at Hamohamo, the Waikëkë home of the Queen, this song appeared in "He Buke Mele O Hawaii" under the title He ûAla Nei E MÃÂpu Mai Nei. Ahe Lau Makani is used only verse 1 and 2, and may be an abridged version. Lëlëlehua refers to the name of the gentle rain in Palolo Valley, Oahu. Verse 1, 2 and the Chorus is translated by Liliûuokalani, and Verse 3, 4 by Hui HÃÂnai.
Ahe Lau Makani was composed jointly with the Queen's sister Princess Likelike and Kapoli, a mysterious collaborator who, to this day, remains unidentified. The "Viennese-ness" of this waltz is especially evident in the hui, or chorus. Ahe Lau Makani describes a lover's sweet breath. It poetically describes someone's yearning for a loved one. As Dennis says, "In the figurative Hawaiian, this breeze is actually the breath of one who I admire, carried by the wind. Whoever the Queen wrote about, she got right into that person and conveyed it through the whole song."
By And By, Hoûi Mai ûOe, translated as By and By Thou Wilt Return, is a famous song composed by Queen Liliûuokalani.
Ka ÃȈ Âiwi Nani, translated as The Beautiful Native, is a love song composed and translated by Liliûuokalani on June 23, 1886, at Palolo, Oûahu.
In The Queen's Songbook, editors Dorothy Kahananui Gillett and Barbara Barnard Smith note that it's not a surprise that this love song from 1886, when LiliâÂÂuokalani was still a princess, comes from a time when her diaries "are strewn with references to a special 'friend', perhaps Henry Berger." Berger was the director of the Royal Hawaiian Band, and Gillett and Smith note the possibility "that the song celebrates a romantic liaison" with him. Even the title, which translates to "The Beautiful Form", or as the Queen herself translated it, Beautiful One, has possible romantic associations. It is one of the most compelling melodies of the Queen's songs, and I arranged it so the second verse is played in a relaxed 12/8 ballad style.
Ka Hanu O Hanakeoki, translated as The Scent of Hanakeoki, or sometimes plainly called Hanakeoki, is a famous song composed by Liliûuokalani in 1874. It a piece mentioned in "The Queen's Songbook" and translated into English by Hui HÃÂnai. The song may allude to property the Queen owned in PÃÂlolo Valley.
Kuûu Pua I Paoakalani, often referred to simply as Paoakalani, is a famous song composed by Queen Liliûuokalani while imprisoned in ûIolani Palace. It is about her garden in Paoaokalani, from which a loyal haole supporter, John Wilson (whose mother, Evelyn T. Wilson, went into voluntary imprisonment with the Queen) regularly brought her flowers. These flowers were wrapped in newspaper, through which means she was able to read the news that was prohibited to her during her imprisonment. The song is a tribute to this young man, whom she held in very high esteem.
Performance of the song is known to be vocally challenging in terms of range, timing, power, and breath control. One of the most famous recorded renditions was made by activist/singer George Helm on the first live album that was released after his death in the Kahoûolawe struggle.
Manu Kapalulu, translated to Quail, is one of the numerous songs and chants composed by Queen Liliûuokalani. Composed in November 1878, this was an admonishment from Liliûuokalani to a disparaging remark. According to Hawaiian traditions lessons in life and morality were usually taught in music and riddles. Manu Kapalulu was about the Queen's annoyance with someone.
This song has many allusion to Hawaiian mythology. The Kilohana in verse 1, stanza 2 is in Kalihi Valley on O'ahu and was the sacred home of Haumea and Wakea. Verse 2, stanzas 3 and 4 is an allusion to the old Hawaiian religion. Although Liliûuokalani embraced Christianity, she was very familiar with the practice of worshipping and feeding na aumakua (family gods). Kapo, the dark sorceress in verse 3, stanza 4, is Kapoûulaûkënaûu, the dual-natured goddess, daughter of Haumea and Wakea, and sister of Pele and Kamohoaliûi. Her benevolent nature was Laka, the goddess of hula. This song also served as a mele inoa (name song) for Princess Kaûiulani
Nani NàPua Koûolau, translated as The Flower of Koûolau or Beautiful Are the Flowers of Koûolau is a song composed by Queen Liliûuokalani. Written in 1860, this was one of Liliûuokalani's first published works or probably the first; it was published in 1869 both in Hawaiian and English, one of her first works to appear in print. It was signed L.K. (Lydia Kamakaûeha) PÃÂkë, the name she used until her marriage in 1862 to John Owen Dominis. The English translation is by Liliûuokalani herself.
This song demonstrates her poetic skills in which romantic love, love of nature and love of the land are happily entwined. This setting was written for the popular Pacific Rim Choral Festival which takes place in Hawaiûi each summer.
Ka Wiliwili Wai, sometimes plainly called Wiliwiliwai, translated to The Lawn Sprinkler or The Twisting of the Water, is a famous song composed by Queen Liliûuokalani who wrote the words and the music. The story behind the song goes: As the Queen was sitting on her lanai at Washington Place, she saw something unusual next door in her neighbor, Dr. McKibben's yard, a lawn sprinkler going round and round. Fascinated, the Queen watched for a long time spinning this tune to its rhythm.
Pauahi ûO Kalani, translated as Pauahi, The Royal One, was composed by Liliûuokalani in 1868. It honors Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the great-granddaughter of Kamehameha I and Liliûuokalani's beloved foster sister. It was written in 1868 prior to the accession of Liliûuokalani's family. They were on a trip to the island of Hawaiûi and had visited Puna and the Panaûewa forest in the Hilo district. Liliûuokalani wrote this song at MÃÂnÃÂ. The Bishop Estate, Pauahi's continuing legacy, created and maintains the Kamehameha Schools. High school students at Kamehameha sing this song every year on Founder's Day, 19 December, the date of Pauahi's birth. The song was translated by Mary Kawena Pukui.
Liliûuokalani composed Pelekane, translated as England or Britain, in 1887 after she and Queen Kapiûolani went to England for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. On this occasion, Queen Kapiûolani wore a parure of catseye shells and a gown embroidered with blue peacock feathers. In the second verse, Liliûuokalani describes the British Queen-Empress as the topmost blossom.
Another song of the same title, written by Elizabeth Kuahaia, is a song about the innocence lost in globalization/modernization. It is about the sinking of the ship, the , in 1915. It was an event that helped create the concept of a "World War."
Pelekane means "Britain" and reveals the long-standing affinity that the Native Hawaiian people felt for England. It was the British that the Hawaiian Kingdom attempted to emulate and identify with â so much so that the royal contingent traveled to England to attend Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887 and adopted the "Union Jack" symbol in the Kingdom of Hawaiûi flag. This song may refer to England owning the Lusitania.
Unlike most other Native Hawaiian songs, it is written without the beautiful imagery of nature. Instead, it describes the use of explosives and torpedoes. This is warfare without warriors in hand-to-hand combat, with the concept of "civilians" redefined by wholesale destruction of places. In a way, this is a modern protest song is in the style of Kaulana NàPua. This piece foreshadows the militarization of Hawaiûi as the Western outpost for United States military forces. This militarization of the islands is an important aspect of Native Hawaiian experience. Not only are many areas reserved by the military, but the island economy is dependent upon it.
Puna Paia ûAûala, translated to Puna's Fragrant Bowers, and other translation include Puna's Fragrant Glades and Puna's Sweet Walls. It is famous love song composed by Queen Liliûuokalani in July 1868, who composed a total of 165 pieces in her life. The setting is the Puna District on the Island of Hawaiûi, which was renowned for its groves of fragrant hala (Pandanus tectorius). The first two verses were published in He Buke Mele Hawaiûi and the third verse is from a Bishop Museum manuscript. The fourth verse was preserved by Bill Kaiwa. Verse 1, 2, and hui translated by Liliûuokalani. Verses 3 and 4 translated by Hui HÃÂnai.
Along with Ahe Lau Makani and Paia Ka Nahele, composed in the same year, these two waltzes are especially evident in the hui, or chorus, of Puna Paia Aûala. These three songs that took the form as waltzes, were a fresh departure for Liliûuokalani. Their lyrics are full of romance, and the rhythmic buoyancy and grace of the music place them among her most memorable melodies.
Sanoe, is a famous song composed by Queen Liliûuokalani who wrote the words and the music. "Sanoe" is the Hawaiian word meaning â the mist that drifts over our mountains â and alludes to the man drifting in like the mist to see his ipo (sweetheart). It is in the Queen's Song Book and also in He Mele Aloha. Liliûuokalani composed this while still a princess in the court of her brother King David KalÃÂkaua. The song describes a possibly clandestine love affair or romance in the royal court. This version is based on Robert Cazimero's choral arrangement for the Kamehameha Schools Song Contest. Steve composed the interlude between the second and third verses for this recording. Queen Liliûuokalani originally wrote Sanoe in common time, though today it is almost always performed in triple meter. Where and how this change occurred is a mystery.
This affair in the royal court is centered on Sanoe, a love affair of two members of the royal family that were in love but promised marriage to other people, Princess Likelike and Colonel Curtis Piehu Iaukea. Kapeka was the joint composer to this song. Queen LiliâÂÂuokalani indicates she composed Sanoe with "Kapeka", her friend whose real name was Elizabeth Sumner Achuck.
Sanoe was brought back into general circulation by ûukulele master Eddie Kamae and Gabby with the Sons of Hawaiûi on "MUSIC OF OLD HAWAIûI".
The Queen's Jubilee is a famous song composed by Princess Liliûuokalani of Hawaiûi to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, which Princess Liliûuokalani attended with a royal contingent from Hawaiûi.
The Queen's Prayer, or in Hawaiian Ke Aloha O Ka Haku. It was published as Liliûuokalani's Prayer, with the Hawaiian title and English translation ("The Lord's Mercy") now commonly called "The Queen's Prayer". It is a famous mele, composed by Queen Liliûuokalani, March 22, 1895, while she was under house arrest at ûIolani Palace. This hymn was dedicated to Victoria Kaûiulani, her niece and heir apparent to the throne.
Queen Liliûuokalani wrote this at the bottom of the manuscript: "Composed during my imprisonment at ûIolani Palace by the Missionary party who overthrew my government." She was referring to the illegal Overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy by U.S. business interests backed by the U.S. government.
Tà «tà «, translated as Granny, is a famous mele hula composed by Queen Liliûuokalani. Mentioned in the song is Kaûalaûalaûa, which refers to the area of lower Nuûuanu below Maûemaûe Hill. This hula was composed for a benefit program at Kaumakapili Church in Palama. Maria Heleluhe danced the part of the tà «tà « (granny) and 7 little girls performed as the grandchildren. The Queen taught the girls to sing the song with her and she accompanied them on her guitar. The song received 5 encores and the performers were showered with money.