"Hawaii's hottest group!" - Billboard Magazine

“...beautiful, fragile, spiritual, powerful...” - L.A. Times

"It is not an overstatement that HAPA actually encompasses the past, present and future of Polynesian music."
- San Francisco Examiner Magazine

Like the Hawaiian Islands themselves, HAPA's Pan-Polynesian music is an amalgam of influences ranging from ancient genealogical chants to the strummed ballads of Portuguese fisherman, Spanish cowboys, and the inspired melodies and harmonies of the traditional church choirs of the early missionaries. Add to this a dose of American acoustic folk/rock, and you have what has been described as the “most exciting and beautiful contemporary Hawaiian music the world knows!”… (Maui Times).

Singers/guitarists Barry Flanagan and Nathan Aweau , first met in 1983 and spent the next decade honing their distinctive sound. Building a devoted following throughout the islands, in 1993 Hapa issued their self-titled debut LP; the record was an unprecedented smash, breaking countless sales records on its way to earning six Na Hoku Hanohano awards (the Hawaiian equivalent of the Grammys). The group’s ground breaking music has established them as the most recognized name in Hawaiian music internationally since their debut release, with sold-out shows from Tokyo to New York.

Often encapsulated as the “Sound of Maui”, HAPA’s music evokes a place that many people at different times have referred to as heavenly. The overriding quality of their music is one of beauty and serenity, found in the majestic tones of the oli (chant), mele (song), the elegant movements of the sacred dance known as hula, and the exhilarating innovative sounds of virtuoso slack key guitar.

www.hapa.com