Seventeen hula halau brought grace and beauty to the forefront of the festival as they danced together for the 25th He Halia Aloha No Lili‘uokalani to celebrate the Queen’s birthday at Lili‘uokalani Park and Gardens in Hilo.

After offering ho‘okupu to Queen Lili‘uokalani, the halau filled the park to perform a mass hula to “Lili‘u E,” which is a personal song of praise for the queen.

The music seemed to fade as a helicopter flew overhead and released flower blossoms over at least 1,000 people in the crowd, which has been the tradition of the Hilo festival.

Halau danced to “Mahalo E Hilo Hanakahi” to finish the ceremony and dispersed to friends and family throughout the gardens.

The dancers from Na Wahine Punahele ‘O Ka Pu‘uwai each hugged their Kumu Hula Iwalani Woo-O’Brien, who recited a portion of a speech that was given by Queen Lili‘uokalani as she and her halau offered ho‘okupu.

“This celebration is important for the great memory of a queen who tried everything to keep her kingdom, but couldn’t because of the powers that be,” Woo-O’Brien said. “The amazing speech was about the love of her people, which is why she could not regain her power. She could never sacrifice her people.”

Queen Lili’uokalani was an accomplished composer and songwriter and made sure to preserve key elements of Hawaii’s traditional poetics. According to the Lili‘uokalani Trust, many of her compositions were love songs in the tradition of mele ho‘oipoipo, full of nature metaphors.

Although she worked tirelessly in the world of politics before and after her overthrow in 1893, Queen Lili’uokalani remained faithful to her music as she wrote about the issues she faced, which have endured as expressions of Hawaiian identity.

“Coming together in this way is perfect for her. We hope to emulate her love of music, hula and her people as we celebrate and honor her as our only reigning queen,” Woo-O’Brien said. “It’s amazing to see so many halau here with so many faces I recognize. It’s especially great seeing our keiki as it begins with them again.”

Evelyn Togashi, a former recreation specialist for the County of Hawaii’s Department of Parks and Recreation, took photos during the He Halia Aloha No Lili‘uokalani, which she helped start before retiring in 2000.

“I’m so proud and happy to see how much this event has grown over the years. It’s so beautiful and the day is wonderful,” Togashi said. “I’m happy to see Parks and Recreation keep putting events together and making them bigger. I hope everyone has a wonderful time.”

After halau performed, Darlene Ahuna, Taishoji Taiko, Just Us Band, and Ben Kaili and Kanakapila provided live entertainment for attendees. The County also provided activities like traditional Hawaiian games, arts and crafts and demonstrations.

For more information on Queen Lili‘uokalani and the legacy she left Hawaii, visit Lili‘uokalani Trust’s website at http://onipaa.org/queen-liliuokalani.

Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com

BEAVERTON, OREGON (HawaiiNewsNow) – An Oregon nurse with Hawaii ties who was reported missing is dead, according to Beaverton police officials.

Officials said Melissa Jubane, 32, was first reported missing on Wednesday when she didn’t show up for her job in Portland.

Police said after days of searching in her hometown of Beaverton, her remains were found.

Local police said her neighbor, identified as Bryce Johnathan Schubert, 27, is believed to be involved in her disappearance.

Schubert has been arrested and charged with Jubane’s murder.

Jubane’s husband, Bryan Llantero, is originally from Hawaii. The couple was married in Haleiwa last week.

Llantero’s sister Aimee told HNN their other brother flew to Portland to help with the search.

This story may be updated.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The 6th annual “Best of Hawaii’s Best Kitchens” is happening tonight at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki. The event gathers top local chefs from more than a dozen restaurants for a night of food, music and charity benefiting future culinary talent.

Keith Mallini, chair of the Hawaii Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, Alessandro Bolla, VP of Arancino Ristorante Italiano, and Tran Phuong, co-founder of Luna Events and Catering Hawaii, joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about the fundraiser organized by Hawaii’s Best Kitchens founder Darrell Chock.

This year’s event goes from 7-10 p.m. with proceeds going to fund programs that uplift the local culinary industry through scholarships, public service and educational programs.

Arancino Ristorante Italiano and Luna Events & Catering showcased dishes they plan to serve at tonight’s event.

Chock founded the social media business on Instagram in 2015 to showcase Hawaii’s top eateries and be a culinary guide for locals and visitors.

For information and tickets, visit hawaiisbestkitchens.org.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.