Attend almost any Hawaiian Luau, and you will likely experience the
hauntingly beautiful  Hawai'i Aloha before the evening ends. Hawai‘i
Aloha, also called Ku‘u One Hanau, is a revered anthem of the native
Hawaiian people and Hawai‘i residents alike. Written by Lorenzo Lyons,
a Christian minister who died in 1886, Hawai‘i Aloha was considered
by the Hawai‘i State Legislature in 1967 and by the Hawai‘i State
Constitutional Convention in 1978 to become the official state song.

Hawai‘i Aloha is typically sung in both small and large, formal and
informal gatherings in Hawai‘i while standing in a circle with joined
hands. It is considered a vital feature at the inauguration of the Governor
of Hawai‘i, and the opening sessions of the Hawai‘i State House of
Representatives and Hawai‘i State Senate. Traditionally, the last
verse and chorus is sung with all hands raised above heads. The act
of raising hands is most especially important to advocates of the
Hawaiian sovereignty movement.