Kīkā
Guitar owned by Queen Liliʻuokalani
Queen Liliʻuokalani was raised and educated in Hawaiian traditions as well as western concepts. She was fluent in English and Hawaiian, and was comfortable in both cultures.
As a young woman of the aliʻi, or noble class, Liliʻuokalani was taught to behave appropriately for her status. In Europe and the United States, the study of music was considered fitting for a genteel lady. Fortunately, this allowed Liliʻuokalani to express her exceptional musical talents. She utilized western instruments such as the piano to compose and play her songs, but often wrote lyrics in Hawaiian, seamlessly blending the cultures in which she lived.
Liliʻuokalani's most famous composition is the song "Aloha ʻOe." It is said that she wrote the song on this guitar in 1878, after seeing a couple's farewell embrace at Maunawili, Oʻahu. The words, a mixture of Hawaiian and English, describe the love between these two people.
In the 20th century, the song—while lyrically the same—transformed into a way of saying goodbye at times of departures or endings. The Royal Hawaiian Band added to its transformation and esteem by playing "Aloha ʻOe" as ships sailed away from the docks of Honolulu Harbor.
Like Liliʻuokalani, many Hawaiians enthusiastically accepted foreign musical instruments and musical styles. The guitar, which came from Spain, is one of these introduced instruments. Since the 19th century, it has come to be considered an intrinsic part of Hawaiian music. Liliʻuokalani's personal guitar, displayed here, demonstrates that she was one of the influential individuals who helped integrate this instrument into the living culture of Hawaiʻi.