On Wednesday, March 26, Hawaiians celebrated Prince Kūhiō Day.
Prince Kūhiō's Statue, Honolulu
Prince Kūhiō Day is an official holiday in the state of Hawaii.
One parade in his honor last Saturday
taught this mainlander that Prince Kūhiō
is remembered for his belief in civic duty,
his grassroots activism,
and his work to improve the lives of native Hawaiians
and to preserve Hawaiian culture.
Anthurium Flowers Grace the Statue
of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi
Every March 26 Hawaiians celebrate the birth
of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi.
He was a prince of the House of Kalākaua
when the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown in 1893
by international businessmen.
Prince Kūhiō went on
to become a politician in the Territory of Hawaii
and to serve in the U. S. Congress.
He was the first native Hawaiian,
and the only royal person ever to do so.
Source: Wikipedia
Prince Jonah Kūhiō
Source: Wikipedia
As luck would have it,
I stumbled upon a celebration on his birthday
at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Hotel.
Hyatt Regency employees participated in a show
to honor Prince Kūhiō on his birthday.
It was a wonderful display of Hawaiian music and dance.
Here are some photographs of the performances.
This Hawaiian woman provided
much of the vocal and musical background
for the dancers.
One of the Graceful Female Dancers
A Young Girl Waits to Debut
Employees Waiting to Perform
Father and Daughter
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Employees Dance
to Honor Prince Kūhiō
What really impressed me about this show
was that the hotel employees donated their free time
to learn to dance for Prince Kūhiō's birthday celebration.
They were secretaries, chefs, and translators,
front desks personnel and engineers ~
some dancing in public for the first time.
some dancing in public for the first time.
And they were nervous, excited, graceful,
and AWESOME!
I wouldn't have missed this for anything!
Hula Dancer
Male Dancers
A Successful Debut
for a Lovely Young Dancer
Beauty and Grace
Graceful Hula
Timeless Men
Colorful Dancers
Finale
I am grateful I had the chance to see
the moving performances
by the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Hotel's employees.
It was truly a gift from their hearts.
I wasn't able to record the music at the hotel,
so I am adding a Brother Iz performance
of Green Rose Hula,
a song I have heard many times
on my trip to Hawaii,
including at the the Hyatt Regency.
Enjoy!
Brother Iz
Green Rose Hula
What a great post! I love the beautiful floral dresses the ladies are wearing...and the leis are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda! I was really taken by the vibrant colors, and the contrast between the female dances and the male. The music was super, and sometimes the dancers used bamboo instruments in their performances. Have a great day!
DeleteThat, Louise, looks to have been a great experience! All the colours and music must have been lovely.
ReplyDeleteSo good to see that you and Terry are truly enjoying yourselves. Have a great day!
Hi Jim! It was awesome! There is a lot of free entertainment happening in the Waikiki Beach area. This was extra special because they were volunteer employees, and some had never done traditional Hawaiian dances before. You wouldn't know it. I, with my talent for getting into trouble, wandered into a corn of the Hyatt several days ago to take a picture from a balcony. Suddenly this drumming started , and two men were leaping, and kicking, and slapping their bodies right behind me. And there I was stuck until they finished rehearsing their dance. The drummer was the "father" in the photos above, and he was a demanding instructor. Terry is on the other side of the performers shaking his head and rolling his eyes at me ~ Geeze Louise! LOL!
DeleteI haven't seen a traditional Hawaiian dance in person.
ReplyDeleteI hope you do someday, Adam ~ It's beautiful. Have a good one!
DeleteNever knew there was such a day, don't they have a holiday like every other day there? lol Must have been quite the sight to see
ReplyDeleteYup, there are a lot of holidays in Hawaii! And parades! They even have a parade for Spam! LOL That's one I'd love to see. Have a good day at your bay!
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ReplyDeleteThose dances can awe with everything they do.
ReplyDeleteHi HGW! They were varied and awesome for sure! Have a good one!
DeleteGlad you had a good time watching the dancers. Some nice shots.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.
Thanks, Andrew! Sometimes you're lucky and stumble across something unexpected and wonderful! Have a good one!
Deletebardzo ciekawa kultura :)
ReplyDeletePrzeżywa różne kultury jest jednym z radości podróżowania! Dzięki za coraz zwolennikiem mojego bloga! Mieć szczęśliwy dzień, Patrycja!
DeleteLovely pictures,, and looks like a very sunny day
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing.. interesting!
Thanks, Dawna! It was a gorgeous day! Take care!
DeleteA true Renaissance Man, Statesman at the turn of the 19th Century: Hawaii royalty educates in California, England, travels to Japan, joins U.S. Congress. He was the voice of Hawaiian culture in a critical time of decline, when needed the most. Happy Birthday Prince Kuhio!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog, PD! And thanks for the info on Prince Kuhio. I'm going to find out lots more about Hawaiian history after my trip. Aloha!
DeleteHow amazing is this? And seeing it up close? Wow! I wish I could do just that, especially with all that sunshine you have there. Send some to us, please! LOL...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are having so much funny. I am enjoying the area through your photos, your experiences, and your enthusiasm!
Hi, Martha! Amazing indeed! Tropical sunshine heading your way! At some point spring has to come! I'm glad that you are enjoying my posts! Have a great weekend!
DeleteWhat a wonderful experience. Glad you enjoyed your self.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jill! I've been out SUPg since, and I so love it! Terry even got up on the board yesterday. He rode around on the paddleboard with me paddling for a while. But he got tired of being my "Beach Boy" and tried it himself. I was so proud of him! Have a good one!
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