May is a month full of music, from the Garden Isle to Puna

Lea Uehara doesn’t sing, dance or play an instrument.

But she does love music, and she knows Hawaii’s dynamic music industry inside out.

For the past 30 years, Uehara has been president of Tropical Music, whose catalog includes releases by island standouts such as Teresa Bright, Dennis Pavao, Waipuna, the Makaha Sons and the late Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole.

She is also secretary of the board of the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts (see sidebar) and one of the creators of Mele Mei, a monthlong musicfest that has been gaining momentum since its launch in 2011.

Mele Mei means "May, month of music," and, true to its name, more than 30 events are planned this year. Although the offerings are conceived and implemented by HARA’s partners, the academy organizes the calendar of events and handles overall publicity.

"In 2010 we started to solidify the concept for Mele Mei, which is to celebrate Hawaii’s music," Uehara said. "The Na Hoku Hano-hano Awards (dubbed the Grammys of Hawaiian music) is held in May. We wanted to expand from that one-day event to a series of musical events throughout May. Of course, Hawaiian music is a big part of Mele Mei. As Hawaii’s other music genres evolve, the calendar has started to reflect them as well — alternative music, island rhythm, reggae, etc."

Oahu performers, record producers, community groups, hotels and other entities that were planning music events in May 2011 enthusiastically accepted HARA’s invitation to be part of the inaugural united effort. Now in its third year, Mele Mei has become a statewide celebration. Classes, concerts, jam sessions and workshops will take place at parks, hotels, theaters, restaurants and even athletic fields throughout the islands.

"Mele Mei is about education as well as entertainment," Uehara said. "It gives participants the chance to not only enjoy Hawaii’s music as spectators, but to make music themselves through hands-on learning."

For example, 40 respected Hawaiian cultural practitioners and kumu hula (hula masters) will be teaching workshops at the International Waikiki Hula Conference. Among the topics are basic chant styles and techniques; the ukulele as an accompaniment for hula; and how to make, play and compose music with a bamboo nose flute.

In conjunction with the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, HARA will pre­sent workshops on performance, haku mele (song composition) and the business of music. Among the workshop leaders are Hoku winners Cyril Pahinui, Napua Greig, Jon Osorio, Ken Makuakane, Brittni Paiva and Dennis and David Kamakahi.

UEHARA is excited to see interest in Hawaii’s music growing on the mainland and abroad. "Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder has released an ukulele album, and the ukulele’s popularity is taking off in Korea and Thailand," she said. "Jake Shima- bukuro, Willie K, Ledward Kaapana, Nathan Aweau and Amy Hanaialii have big followings in Asia and on the mainland."

She envisions Mele Mei having the global appeal of South by Southwest (SXSW), which has been held annually in Austin, Texas, since 1987. SXSW has three major components: music, film and emerging technologies. Billed as "the biggest and most anticipated convergence of all things music," the SXSW Music Festival features some 2,500 acts from 50 countries and every continent. Performers delight crowds at more than 100 venues, including riverboats and double-decker buses.

"Mele Mei has the potential to reach that level because of the diversity of our music and the beauty and cultural richness of our islands," Uehara said. "As fans of Hawaii’s music continue to grow and more events revolving around music are spotlighted, I believe Mele Mei can be Hawaii’s version of South by Southwest one day."

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.