Colorful bunting draped ʻIolani Palace as people gathered at nearby Washington Place on Saturday to mark the 106th anniversary of Queen Liliʻuokalani's death.
A Hawaiian mele and hula concert kept with the mission of the Washington Place Foundation to honor the queen's wish to perpetuate Hawaiian culture.
Foundation board member Alfred "Kula" Abiva explained the musical selections, which included songs like "Paoakalani," the queen’s home in Waikīkī. He produced the special evening concert.
"Music was a way to communicate with her people when she was not allowed to speak to her people by the new government that took over Hawaiʻi back in 1893," Abiva said.
"So this is a small way of us continuing that tradition here at Washington Place, at the foundation," he added.
The event was an intimate glimpse of the personal connections to the home. It included descendants of those who lived in Washington Place, like Louise “Gussie” Schubert, the great-granddaughter of the queen.
Now the president of the foundation, she shared upcoming events and renovations.
"The house needs to be painted on the outside. We need to upgrade the wonderful fire suppressants and the fire alarms, you know, just the wonderful basics that you have to do in order to keep a 175-year-old home going," Schubert said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Nov. 14, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
