Royal Hawaiian Girls Glee Club

Hawaiian girls had expressed enthusiasm about athletics and music, but it is unclear when a separate glee club was formed under Silva, and the year varies by individual accounts.

[1] Trained in traditional hula by Mrs. Kekaha Ross of Maui, Silva became an entertainment coordinator at social gatherings for Princess Abigail Campbell Kawānanakoa (1882–1945), a strict adherent to authenticity of Hawaiian culture.

[3] One of the glee club's most famous alumni was Hilo Hattie (1901–1979), who joined in 1935 and remembered the group as her big break into show business.

When Hawaii Calls began its decades-long run in 1935, the glee club was the first group to perform on the show, which also served as a springboard to international fame for Hilo Hattie.

[6] Silva kept her day job as a secretary for decades and, in addition to establishing a savings fund for the members, prodded them to further their formal education beyond basic school.