Academy gives nod to Island Grammy
By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
And the Grammy goes to ... Hawaiian music.
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences announced yesterday that Hawaiian music would be recognized with a category of its own at next year's Grammy Awards.
The recording academy's board of trustees created the category this week at its summer meeting on the Big Island.
The newly created "Best Hawaiian Music Album" category will be one of several added to next year's 47th annual Grammy Awards list. The recording academy said in a statement that the criteria for qualifying and nominating works for the Hawaiian music category would be released in the next few weeks.
"What this says is that Hawaiian music — which is so culturally based — is worthy and ready for popular appreciation on a worldwide scale. And that's an amazing, exciting thing," said Judy Drosd, chief officer of arts, film and entertainment for the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Observers say it is likely the academy will require that works be largely in the Hawaiian language to qualify. Some in the industry have pushed for 75 percent or more Hawaiian language content, but the official criteria has yet to be announced.
"There's a lot of stuff that doesn't fall into that category ... a lot of music that would be left out," said Jim Linkner, a veteran Hawaiian music producer and a former president of the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts. "We need a rule that (is) more inclusive."
Nalani Choy of the contemporary vocal trio Na Leo Pilimehana called the announcement a milestone for Hawaiian music, even though the group's music, which is mostly pop contemporary with English lyrics, likely would be ineligible for Grammy consideration.
"There's some people that think that it's only Hawaiian music if it's sung in the Hawaiian language. I would disagree with that," Choy said. "I think there's room in the category of Hawaiian music to cover a broad spectrum.
"(I) would hope that the wording would be broad enough that it would include as much of the different Hawaiian artists and different styles of Hawaiian music as possible. ... (But) however the category is worded, and whether it does or doesn't include us, the important thing is that at least there's a category established."
An initially broad Hawaiian music category could act as a stepping stone to more genre-specific local Grammy album categories — such as "traditional," "contemporary" and "instrumental" — in the future.
"It's a phenomenal foot in the door, because we're hoping over time to be able to be expand to more categories so that we can really showcase the incredible variety and diversity of music that we have," Drosd said.
Hawai'i-based record labels, producers and musicians have been lobbying the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences for a Hawaiian music Grammy category since the late 1980s.
"Hawaiian music has always been such a great secret," said vocalist/musician Robert Cazimero from Los Angeles when told of the announcement. "We have kind of kept it that way. Perhaps it's time for the secret to be shared."
The eligibility period for next year's Grammy Awards is Oct. 1, 2003, through Sept. 30, 2004. That will allow well-received best-selling CD releases such as Na Palapalai's "Ke 'Ala Beauty" and Keali'i Reichel's "Ke'alaokamaile" to qualify if they meet the nomination criteria.
Reichel's album took seven awards at Monday's 2004 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, the Hawai'i music industry's equivalent of the Grammy Awards, given by the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts.
"Hawaiian music is at the very heart of our Island culture, and it is enjoyed and appreciated around the world," Gov. Linda Lingle said in a statement. "This historic Grammy category for Hawaiian music will bring much-deserved attention to our multi-talented performers and help expand our local music industry."
Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.
