Jon de Mello
CEO of Mountain Apple Company
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Jon de Mello is Hawai'i's foremost leader in the area of music recording, distribution, publishing, licensing and talent management. As Owner and President of The Mountain Apple Company, he has built the company into a successful business that competes on an international arena in the sales and marketing of Hawaiian and island music.
That dedication to the music and the artists that The Mountain Apple Company represents is evident in the successes that he has received. He has produced over 150 recording projects that range from traditional Hawaiian to contemporary Hawaiian to island music. In 2002, he became the first producer from a Hawai'i record label to have achieved an RIAA certified Gold Record. He worked closely in developing a CD that was nominated on the 2002 final Grammy ballot for "Reggae Album of the Year." The recording projects he has developed and worked with have garnered almost 100 Nä Hökü Hanohano Awards (Hawai'i's version of the Grammys).
Jon de Mello was born into a musical family. His great-grandfather, who came to Hawai'i in 1889 on one of the first Portuguese immigrant ships, played the 'ukulele, Portugal's contribution to Hawaiian music. His father operated one of Hawai'i's oldest recording companies, Music of Polynesia, and made his mark by adding lush orchestration to traditional Hawaiian music.
Jon began playing the piano at the age of five, and began learning his father's trade by sitting in on recording sessions and business meetings. His interest expanded to fine art, and he studied painting at the California College of Arts and Crafts, graduating in 1970 with a fine arts degree. When he returned to the islands, he continued his artistic studies at the University of Hawai'i while simultaneously embarking on several business ventures. One was an art gallery where he featured his own paintings, offering them to prospective customers in a theatrical atmosphere of lush music and dramatic lighting. He operated this gallery for two years, selling his large paintings in the $1,500 to $5,000 price range.
Jon de Mello also joined a hui (Hawaiian for partnership) of business people, mostly older than he, who were investing in several commercial ventures such as restaurants and retail stores. During his five years of participation in this group, Jon increased his business acumen by familiarizing himself with various day-to-day aspects of business, including personnel management, tax laws, and construction.
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