NATIVE HAWAIIAN NAPUA STEVENS BORN–SINGER, RADIO & TV PERSONALITY
Born Harriet Daisy Kawaiala Kao’ionapuaopi’ilani Stevens in Hawi, North Kohala, Hawaii, her name, “Napua,” was a shortened version of her Hawaiian names which meant “The Perfumed Water” and “The Finest Flower in the Bouquet of Pi”ilani.” In 1949, she recorded Beyond the Reef later recorded by Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and The Ventures. Other hits included Hawaiian Hospitality, I Want to Learn to Speak Hawaiian, Pretty Red Hibiscus, May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii, and What Aloha Means. In the 1950s, she hosted her own radio show and, in the 1960s, her own TV cooking show, Napua”s Kitchen. Stevens later made TV acting appearances, including 2 episodes of Hawaii Five-O and also presented the Aloha Week and Kamehameha Day hula shows. She also narrated TV coverage of the annual Kamehameha Day parade for years. Talented in the crafts, in 1971 she authored a book, The Hawaiian Quilt, an instruction manual on Hawaiian quilting. Napua died January 7, 1990.
Source: “Napua Stevens,” Prabook. Retrieved 6/20/2020, https://prabook.com/web/napua.stevens/2093642 Photo: Jacques Descloitres, NASA, 5/27/2003. Public Domain.
Indigenous America Calendar 