Liliʻu: Tribute to a Queen
By PUA ALIʻI ʻILIMA
On the eve of the 125th Anniversary of the overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani, PAʻI Foundation brings together artists from Honolulu and New York City to present an evening of mele (songs), oli (chants), hula (dance) and moʻolelo (stories) composed by and for the last Queen of Hawaiʻi. An accomplished musician, vocalist, choral director, prolific writer and composer of over 150 songs, Queen Liliʻuokalani (Liliʻu) reigned as queen from 1891 to 1893, when her Kingdom was overthrown by American businessmen, with the assistance of the United States military. Subsequently, the Hawaiian Islands were annexed de-facto in 1898 by the United States.
PAʻI presents Nā Kumu Hula Robert Cazimero & Vicky Holt Takamine along with members of their hālau, Pua Aliʻi ʻIlima o Nuioka and special guest artists: Kumu Hula Michelle Nālei Akina, Storyteller Moses Goods, Kaina Quenga, Kris Kato, B. Kainoa Embernate, Michael Keoni DeFranco, Andy Wang, Chris Davis, Claudia Goddard & The Gracious Ladies NYC.
This evening would not be possible without the generous support of MAPFUND, National Endowment for the Arts, Artworks, Ford Foundation, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, National Performance Network, Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, Kamehameha Schools, United States Artists, Doris Duke Foundation, Hālāwai and La Mama Experimental Theatre Club.
Pua Ali‘i ‘Ilima is the hālau hula (school of traditional Hawaiian dance) founded by Victoria Holt Takamine in 1977. PAʻI Foundation, founded in 2001, is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of Pua Aliʻi ʻIlima, a hālau hula founded in 1977 by kumu hula, Victoria Holt Takamine. The hālau participates in cultural festivals and events throughout Hawaii, nationally, and internationally.
More online: www.paifoundation.org