Na Lani ʻEhā
Na Lani ʻEhā, translated as The Four Royals 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.