The group's recent album "Flying With Angels" has been nominated for four Na Hoku Hanohano awards. Na Leo members include Nalani Choy, Lehua Kalima, and Angela Morales.
"We see this as a whole market opening up for our music," Choy said.
In the United States Na Leo records under its own label. In its deal with Sony the group still owns its own music, Choy said.
Sony's immediate plans for Na Leo include releasing a compilation of the group's first two albums - "Local Boys" and "Friends" - to be called "Island Breeze: The Best of Na Leo." The entire "Local Boys" album and three songs from "Friends" will be included on the Japan "Island Breeze," Choy said.
"With Sony's size and ability to market we strongly believe this is a very good move on the group's part," Choy said.
Negotiations began last fall.
It was important for Sony to get the deal signed before early summer when the Japanese beach scene season swells in popularity, Choy said.
Sony also plans to market Na Leo as a pop music group. And the group is scheduled to tour Japan this fall to promote the new album as well as the Japan release of the group's "Flying With Angels" album.
Japan officials said in a news release that the group's songs have "a strong pop appeal" and that the company is committed to expanding audience appeal.
Marketing includes creating a Na Leo hit single through heavy radio airplay, initially appealing to females in their 20s. The two singles to be released this month, "North Shore Serenade," and "Candle in the Night" are "the perfect songs of summer," a Sony official said.
Tokyo radio station J-Wave has scheduled a promotional visit to Hawaii this summer with "North Shore Serenade" as its theme song.
Na Leo's Hoku Award nominations are for song of the year for "Flying with Angels," group of the year, contemporary album of the year, and album of the year.