Mele & Lei - Make Music Day at Hualani's

A Worldwide Celebration of Music Comes to Timbers Kaua‘i!

Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, Make Music Day is celebrated on the same day on the summer solstice on June 21st, in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries around the world.

We were honored to celebrate Make Music Day with a special Mele & Lei event at Hualani’s oceanfront restaurant with local musicians, artisans, fresh lei and leihulu. Our Timbers Kauaʻi owners and guests were entertained by the talented Kamahaʻo Haumea-Thronas and beautiful hula from Cheyla, Lilliana and Kahena of Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinaala. Darrell Rapozo performed with Shiloh Pa and accompanied Butter Defries and Danny Defries to close out the evening as guests lingered to enjoy the music, the delicious food and the sunset lighting up the night sky.

Founded in 2020,  BEHawaiʻi  is a 501(c)3 organization that began by creating online opportunities for musicians to acquire paid gigs and help sustain the local music industry. Through this passion project, they were able to spread music to those feeling isolated during the pandemic and expand a network of musicians across the islands.  Makana Reilly, Executive Director of BEHawaiʻi, explained the importance of supporting music of all genres by connecting musicians with opportunities to flourish by expanding the visibility of musicians during this worldwide celebration of music.

Our Mele & Lei event was a celebration of music and song along with an abundance of pua (flowers). Fragrant plumeria leis, intricately woven ti-leaf and an array of beautiful flower leis were offered by Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinaala to raise funds for Kahena to travel to Oahu to represent the halau in the Miss Keiki Hula Competition. All performers were adorned with a lei, courtesy of BEHawaiʻi’s other initiative, the Lei Poinaʻole Project. In recent years, the popularity of the lei industry has caused Hawaiʻi to outsource flowers, therefore outsourcing the income of the local farming industry. The Lei Poinaʻole Project works with local growers in an effort to rebuild the sustainability of the lei industry and keep it here on the islands. “The goal is to get plants in the ground,” explained Reilly. BEHawaiʻi is working with existing and new growers throughout the island to achieve this goal.

The event also featured a stunning collection of lei hulu (feather lei) and kahili offered by Maile Keawe Bryan, who graced the audience with an impromptu beautiful hula to a special song performed by  Kamahaʻo.

We look forward to celebrating Make Music Day in Hawaiʻi next year on the summer solstice!