May 19, 2013 by nupepa

Fund raiser for the building of St. Augustine in Waikiki, 1901.

FAIR AND LUAU.

A fair and grand luau was held by the Catholic brethren in the armory [hale paikau] outside, this Saturday afternoon. There were many people who showed up to this fair, and we hear that they made a lot of money through the items sold and the luau. Amongst the dignitaries who appeared at the fair was Queen Liliuokalani. The Royal Hawaiian Band [bana aupuni] was there, entertaining the visitors that came, and with the coming of night there was held a dance in the armory. All the proceeds from this fair will be given to the church of St. Augustine being built outside of Waikiki.

(Aloha Aina, 7/20/1901, p. 5)

Ke Aloha Aina, Buke VII, Helu 29, Aoao 5. Iulai 20, 1901.

April 26, 2013 by nupepa

Keahu Kealiiaukai, an awesome biography, 1941.

Recalling the Days of Kamehameha V.

KEAHU KEALIIAUKAI

Keahu Kealiiaukai is one of the last Hawaiians left who is not proficient in English. He is a Hawaiian famous for his knowledge of plants, and he is 82 years old. He lives in Lahaina, Maui, the capital of Hawaii in days of yore. Kealiiaukai is now living with his daughter, Mrs. Juliette Pali.

When Kealiiaukai was born in Kaupo, Maui, on the road going to the crater of Haleakala, in the year 1859, this was the fifth year of Kamehameha IV’s reign over Hawaii nei. Kealiiaukai was 4 when that monarch died. He does not recall this.

Remembering the King.

However, Kealiiaukai does in fact remember Kamehameha V, or King Kapuaiwa, his given name; and the last of the Kamehamehas. Kapuaiwa went to Lahaina numerous times, where he was welcomed warmly by his makaainana.

In Kealiiaukai’s eighty and two years of life, he witnessed the passing of the monarchs of his homeland, closing with the overturning of the nation under Queen Liliuokalani’s protection, in 1893. Then the establishing of the provisional government and the Republic of Hawaii, and the joining of the Islands to the United States and the formation of this Territory of America, 40 years ago.

A Religious Man

Kealiiaukai is an important man in Lahaina for the kamaaina there. His wife left this world eight years ago, but she did not however leave behind children. Kealiiaukai is still strong and active. He participates often in works of this Father in Heaven. He spent his life being a member of the Faith of the Latter Day.

Perhaps he is the last medicine man living and practicing from before the times when there was licensing of those in that profession. During his time, it is said that Kealiiaukai practiced healing with plants amongst his own people and healed them due to his expertise in the use of plants growing in the forests of Hawaii, for all types of illnesses.

(Hoku o Hawaii, 3/5/1941, p. 1)

Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXV, Number 45, Page 1. Malaki 5, 1941.

April 16, 2013 by nupepa

More on the death of Keanu, 1902.

KEANU DIES ON THE SEA SHORE

Shortly after 8 o’clock yesterday morning the body of Keanu, a high chiefess and reputed daughter of Kamehameha V, was found upon the beach at Waikiki, opposite the premises of the late Queen Dowager Kapiolani, now occupied by Princes David and Cupid. The woman had probably been dead about an hour when discovered, and her death is believed to have been due to apoplexy. She was well when she left the Dowager’s premises early in the morning. She wen across the roadway to the bathing beach, donned a muumuu and entered the water for a swim. Just how soon she was overcome is not known, but it is evident that she was upon the beach when the attack came. The fact which led to the belief of apoplexy was that the face was much discolored. There is nothing pointing to foul play and it is not believed that she was drowned.

A jury was empanelled yesterday morning and the body viewed at the morgue. An inquest was to have been held last night at the police station but was postponed until this afternoon.

Keanu was a woman of imposing appearance and always commanded the attention and respect of Hawaiians wherever she went. She had the manner and dignity of a chiefess of the royal blood and was looked upon by the natives generally as one to whom homage was due. She was a great friend of the late Princess Ruth and in later years was much with the late Queen Dowager. She has been residing on the premises at Pualeilani for several years and was protected by the two Princes, as well as by the Dowager before them. For some time past she had not been right in her mind. Several years ago her husband went away into the mountains and nothing more was heard of him. She leaves several children.

At the breakfast and reception given by Queen Liliuokalani last year Keanu was among those who called and her appearance was much commented on at that time, for, believing herself fully entitled to respect and homage, she swept majestically along amongst the throng as if she were a reigning queen.

(Hawaiian Gazette, 7/1/1902, p. 4)

Hawaiian Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Number 50, Page 4. July 1, 1902.

April 14, 2013 by nupepa

Ninipo Hoonipo Song in Australia, 1927.

AMUSEMENTS

THE HAWAIIAN TROUBADOURS. The soft lapping of Pacific breakers lazily breaking on Waikiki beach, moon light, soft breezes whispering through the palm trees, Hawaian maidens crooning a soft “Aloha,” a song of love, in which all the witchery of the tropical night comes stealing across the waters, are conveyed by Kaai’s Hawaian Troubadours, who again charmed a large audience last night at the National Theatre. Particularly effective was their singing of “Imi Au Oe,”¹ “Na Ke Aloha,” and “Ninipo,” In which the Troubadours greeted the dawn; “Ukulele Lady,” “Collegiate,” “Hawaian Blues.” of every known and unknown variety; as well as other items of past and present popularity. Not to be forgotten was Tuavivi, Greig’s “Persuasion” Hula, in which she revealed all the languid grace and symmetry of the dusky beauties of the south. The ensemble of the closing revue was another outstanding item of tropical colour and harmony. The season will terminate to-morrow night.

[Earlier, i posted Liliuokalani's "Ninipo Hoonipo Song", and strangely enough, i ran across this reference to it being sung all the way in Australia in 1928!]

¹”Imi Au Ia Oe”

(Examiner, 4/22/1927, p. 6)

The Examiner, Volume LXXXV, Number 95, Page 6. April 22, 1927.

April 14, 2013 by nupepa

“Kaai’s Hawaiians” on TROVE, 1928.

KAAI’S HAWAIIANS.

Kaaiʻs Hawaiians, who will open at the Garden Theatre on March 3, have recently concluded a season of 120 nights in Sydney. They include the Moana Jazz Four, who were specially engaged at the Wembley Exhibition. The head of the company is Ernest Kaai, the composer of “Aloha oe,” which is virtally the Hawaiiian national anthem. He has written and opera, which was successfully pro…

Miss Tuavivi Greig

…duced in London, and he has his own publishing house and an intsruments factory. The combination has been touring the world since 1906. There are nine men and six women in the company, and there is every possibility that Queenie and David Kaili, who are we know here, will join them for the Adelaide season. Tuavivi, who is a member of the company, is a noted hula dancer.

[This comes from an Adelaide, South Australia newspaper, found on the National Library of Australia webside, TROVE. It seems unclear newspaper images is not something limited to Hawaii nei. However, at least the text on that site is correctable.]

(Advertiser, 2/23/1923, p. 11)

The Advertiser, Volume LXX, Number 21645, Page 11. February 23, 1928.

April 10, 2013 by nupepa

Ninipo Hoonipo Song, a follow up, 1999.

There was a question by MA Kaiulani Milham about a translation of an earlier post about the mele “Ninipo Hoonipo Song,” by Queen Liliuokalani. There is a very nice book of many of the Queen’s songs put out by Hui Hanai in 1999, “The Queen’s Songbook.” The lyrics are in there along with the music, a translation, and a short writeup!

April 7, 2013 by nupepa

A mele by Her Majesty Queen Liliuokalani, 1894.

NINIPO HOONIPO SONG.

Hiaai, hiaai i ka nani la
O a’u Lehua i Hopoe la
Ke ona ia mai la e ka Iwi la
E ka manu hulu weo Olaa

——: Hui :——

Ninipo Hoonipo i ke aloha la
Ka wahine haa le-a a lewa i ke kai
Ka niniau ala i ke one la
I ke kai nupanupa i Haena

Lou iki Panaewa i ka hala la
I ka lihi ka pilina a Moeawakea
Ke nihi ae la ka ua nihi makai la
O ka welelau noe kai io’u nei.

Ike maka i ka nani o Puna la
Na lae uluhala o Kookoolau
Ke oni ae la molale i ke kai la
Na oho lau maewa luhe i ka wai.

I Hilo no ka makani Puulena la
Lohe i ka ale a ke kai holuholu o Huia
Ua mau aku la o luna o Maukele la
I ka pakalikali a ka Malanai.

Composed by H. M. Q. L.

[The newspaper "Ka Oiaio" begins in 1889, but there are only a few issues found for that year, and for 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1893, there are none! Hopefully someone is holding on to copies of these years, because they can open up a whole new picture to that period in history!!

Talk about the Hawaiian-Language Newspapers to others. The more people talk, the more likely it will be that these lost issues might once again be found.]

(Oiaio, 8/10/1894, p. 4)

Ka Oiaio, Buke VI, Helu 32, Aoao 4. Augate 10, 1894.

February 21, 2013 by nupepa

Queen Kapiolani’s visit to the leprosy colony, 1884.

While the entire report should be read because it is all so telling, I think many will find “Report of Her Majesty Queen Kapiolani’s visit to Molokai, by H. R. H. Princess Liliuokalani, July, 1884.” found in the Appendix to the Report on Leprosy of the President of the Board of Health to the Legislative Assembly of 1886, pp. iii–xvii, very interesting for many reasons.

January 22, 2013 by nupepa

More on the alalaua, 1917.

THE RED FISH INVASION

The ancient superstition that visits of red fish in large numbers to the Islands portend the death of some member of the royal family, absurd as it may be, has just had what may be considered by many a remarkable substantiation. A few months ago there started running into and around the harbors of the Islands such schools of alalaua as had not been seen before in five years or more, if not in many years prior to that; and the schools of aweoweo, or grown alalaua, are still here. When the little red fish first started coming in months ago, the older natives shook their heads and declared that one of their aliis must go. It has so turned out. Of course the supposition that there is, or can be, any connection between the two circumstances is ridiculous, but the singular thing to anybody is that the two incidents should have happened together so many times in history, as to create a more or less fixed superstition.

(Maui News, 11/16/1917, p. 4)

The Maui News, Eighteenth Year, Number 923, Page 4. November 16, 1917.