Thinking of Hawaii

by Gail Smith

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In this season of vacations, many people dream of visiting Hawaii, and a lucky few get to visit or even live there. Before Hawaii was a state, it was ruled by a monarchy. The last queen of Hawaii was Liliuokalani, who was also a composer.

Queen Liliuokalani composed hundreds of songs, sang and played the guitar. Queen Liliuokalani was born September 2, 1838 and died November 11, 1916. She went to school at the age of four and was well-educated. Liliuokalani spoke English, learned French and later German. She was descended from two famous chiefs who helped make the Hawaiian Islands into a united system. Her name, Lydia Kamakaeha, was changed to Liliuokalani when she assumed her duties as queen. This name means "The Salt Air of Heaven" or "One Belonging to Heaven and of Chiefly Rank."

On September 16, 1862 Liliuokalani married John Owens Dominis, an Italian who moved to Hawaii in 1837. Dominis and his father were traders from Boston who built a lovely colonial home on Honolulu which is known as "Washington Place." This is where Liliuokalani lived from 1898 until her death. Her husband became governor or Oahu Island in 1863, an office he held until August, 1891, when he died.

In her book Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani writes:

In my school days my facility in reading music at sight was always recognized.... After leaving school, my musical education was continued from time to time as opportunity offered, but I scarcely remember the days when it would not have been possible for me to write either the words or the music for any occasion on which poetry or song was needed. To compose was as natural to me as to breathe.... I have never yet numbered my compositions, but am sure they must run well up to the hundreds. Of these not more than a quarter have been printed....Even when I was denied the aid of an instrument, I could transcribe to paper the tones of my voice.

In the autumn of 1874 King Kalakaua, Liliuokalani's brother became king and visited America to sign a treaty which gave Pearl Harbor to the United States. Liliuokalani wanted Hawaii to be a sovereign power and strongly opposed this signing.

In 1887 Liliuokalani went to England as the guest of Queen Victoria for the Fiftieth Jubilee celebration. When her brother suddenly died on January 29, 1891, she became the Queen on the throne. Queen Liliuokalani attempted to form a new constitution that would have restored power to the throne and restored voting rights to the Hawaiian people. She abdicated on January 24, 1895 after four years of turbulence. Liliuokalani then became a private citizen.

"Aloha Oe" was composed by Queen Lilioukalani at Haunawili in 1878 and first performed by the Royal Hawaiian Band. It is a Hawaiian greeting meaning "Love to you."