Charles E. King was prominent in the wide list of contributors to Hawaiian music, but the most important, and tutor to King, was Queen Liliuokalani. Born Lydia Kamakaeha in 1838, she became the final monarch, being overthrown in 1893. At birth, she (right, at the age of 15) was informally adopted by Abner Paki and Laura Konia, parents of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. She married John Owen Dominis, who later became Governor of Oahu. Liliuokalani was named a princess when her brother, David Kalakaua became King in 1874.
When King Kalakaua made his world tour in 1881, she acted as Regent. Smallpox came to Hawaii that year and mostly affected Native Hawaiians. Her actions helped control this disease.
She ascended to the throne in 1891. In her short reign, she attempted to draft a new constitution to restore the power of the monarchy and bring voting rights to the economically disenfranchised. Many reasons are given for her subsequent deposal in 1893, but this move was the most probably cause for establishment of the Republic of Hawaii, which led to annexation by the USA in 1895, a reaction to the Spanish-American War.
She supposedly lived a love-less marriage and had no children. Music composition became her passion, where she could express her feelings for her people and the politics of Hawaii. Aloha Oe, which was also called Farewell to Thee, was published in 1884. She wrote Queen's Prayer when she was under house arrest in Iolani Palace in 1895. While she wrote more than 200 songs, many are still only just being discovered. She passed away in 1917. Here is another version of Aloha Oe by actress Tia Carrere, who was born in Honolulu.
-
While Typhoon Bualoi passed east of Japan, a separate storm brought flooding, killing at least seven. This is in the wake of Typhoon Hagibis, which had a death toll of 70.
-
No comments:
Post a Comment