Na Lani ʻEhā
Na Lani ʻEhā, translated as The Royal Four or The Heavenly Four, refers to the siblings King Kalākaua (1836–1891), Queen Liliʻuokalani (1838–1917), Princess Likelike (1851–1887) and Prince William Pitt Leleiohoku II (1854–1877). All four were composers, known for their patronage and enrichment of Hawaii's musical culture and history. All four of them organized glee clubs. William Pitt Leleiohoku II, the youngest brother who died at age 22, was a guitar master and leader of the Kawaihau Glee Club. Youngest sister Likelike was a musician and a co-founder of the Kaohuokalani Singing Club. Queen Liliʻuokalani and King Kalākaua were the eldest siblings and had the most profound impact on Hawaii's culture. Both mentored numerous individuals, some of whom went on to musical careers in their own rights. Kalākaua did the most to revive Hawaiian culture when as monarch he showcased native Hawaiian music and traditional hula at his coronation and birthday jubilee celebrations, kickstarting the first Hawaiian Renaissance. Prior to his actions, those two mainstays of Hawaiian culture had been pushed into the shadows for decades by the Protestant Christian missionaries. He was the founder of Kalākaua's Singing Boys glee club, as well as Hui Lei Mamo glee club which featured many hula dancers. After her ascension to the throne upon her brother's death in 1891, Liliʻuokalani sent Hui Lei Mamo on a tour throughout the United States and Europe. She was the most prolific songwriter of the siblings, and both she and Kalākaua collaborated with Royal Hawaiian bandmaster Henri Berger. The Royal Four's aggregate body of musical compositions in the Hawaiian language numbers in the hundreds. The Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame, formed in 1994, acknowledges the royal siblings as their patrons, recognizing their roles as the progenitors of Hawaii's music and arts culture that the world identifies with today. Terminology Na Lani ʻEhā translates as The Royal Four or The Heavenly Four. In the Hawaiian language, na is a plural form of "the", lani means "heaven" or "royal", while ʻEhā is "four". In traditional Hawaiian culture, the aliʻi (chiefs or royals) class were poetically referred to as lani or "Heavenly Ones". Prior to the advent of Christianity in the kingdom, the highest-ranking aliʻi were worshiped as akua or gods. They were considered sacred individuals, who governed with divine power mana, which was derived from the spiritual energy of their ancestors. The collective name predates the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame's acknowledgement in 1994. Na Lani ʻEhā was the name of an early 20th-century composition by Mekia Kealakaʻi, although it was not about the royal siblings. During the 1958 celebration of Aloha Week, a historical pageant on Kauai titled Na Lani ʻEhā was featured, honoring the composition of the four royal composers. Na Lani ʻEhā Revival of the Hawaiian hula The arrival of Christian missionaries in the early 19th century altered the cultural landscape of the kingdom. The hula was viewed by them as evil and corrupt, and it was eventually banned from public performances by Queen consort Ka‘ahumanu. Nevertheless,