I recorded this on Friday afternoon, August 23, 2019.

This performance was part of “A Musical Journey Through Oahu Cemetery,” a program marking the 175th Anniversary of Oahu Cemetery. Four stations were set up in different parts of the 18-acre cemetery, each presenting a short musical tribute to a group of Hawaii musicians and composers who are buried in the cemetery.

In this short segment, Doug Tolentino and Beau Bassett sing Kaulana Na Pua, written in 1893 by Eleanore Prendergast. It was hot, humid, and by this time, raining. It didn’t seem to dampen their performance.

The first part of Tolentino’s introduction, which wasn’t captured on the video, explained that following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, government workers were told they would have to sign an oath pledging loyalty to the new provisional government. The bandmaster of the Royal Hawaiian Band went to Mrs. Prendergast for help with music that could be a form of protest.

If you are unfamiliar with the words and their message, check the Wikipedia entry.