Queen Salote, honoured as poet and composer [1]
Thursday, July 1, 1999 - 11:00. Updated on Friday, January 8, 2016 - 13:37.
From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 14, no. 3, July 1999.
The writings of Tonga's late Queen Salote Tupou IV are being put together by Princess Nanasipau‘u Tuku‘aho, and scholars Dr. Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Dr. Elizabeth Wood-Ellem, and Dr. Melenaite Taumoefolau.
Queen Salote, who died in 1965 at the age of 65, during her lifetime wrote more than 100 pieces of literary work. They include ‘Upe, Laulau, Hiva Kakala, Lakalaka, Ma‘ulu‘ulu and dramatic pieces, some of which are considered to be the most beautiful pieces that have been originally written in the Tongan language.
Princess Nanasipau‘u said that they aimed to publish the work to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Salote on 13 March 2000. The hardest part of the project is the translation and the interpretation from Tongan to English.