This second in a series of articles about my family’s move from New York to Hawaii 50 years ago this summer explores the profound influence of Hawaiian music on our lives.
Early Love of Hula
My mother, Lola Stone, always the hopeful romantic, had a life-long love for Hawaii. This picture shows Lola in her 20s or 30s, wearing a grass skirt on a Long Island beach.
In the 1960s, she began learning hula from Audrey Palmer Robinson on Long Island. Then she discovered beautiful Hawaiian dancer Puanani De Silva (pictured below). Pua recalls:
“My memory of your mom and dad began when they came to the Bali Hai in Northport where I had a Hawaiian show. After the show they introduced themselves and we talked for a while. Your mom expressed an interest in learning the hula and some fundamental Hawaiian. So, I started a small private class with her and some friends. They came once a week and spent the afternoon learning.”
