Hapa

The Hawaiian duo Hapa teamed singers/guitarists Barry Flanagan and Keli‘i Kaneali‘i, who first met in 1983; deriving their name from a pidgin slang expression for "ethnically mixed, " Kaneali‘i (a Honolulu native) and Flnagan (a product of New Jersey who relocated to Maui in 1979) then spent the next decade honing their distinctive sound, an update of traditional Polynesian textures and rhythms incorporating elements of pop and worldbeat. Building a devoted following throughout the islands, in 1993 Hapa issued their self-titled debut LP; the record was an unprecedented smash, ...